10 Shocking Facts About Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Research shows that it is also one of the most preventable by managing health and changing lifestyle habits. The more people know about heart disease, the better they can identify early signs, as well as make lifestyle and other health decisions to manage the progression of the disease – it’s the Caraday Way!
- Heart attack symptoms can be different in men and women.
Men tend to report more chest pain symptoms, while women have been shown to report unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, and anxiety.
- 1 in 3 adults with high blood pressure aren’t even aware they have it and are not being treated to control their blood pressure.
Encouraging your parents to get their blood pressure checked could save their lives.
- Chewing an aspirin helps during a heart attack.
If you have signs of a heart attack, be sure to call 911 immediately. Then, chew on a 325 mg aspirin. Many heart attacks result from a clot that forms when plague clogs an artery, and aspirin helps eliminate clots.
- A flu shot can help your heart.
Heart disease can make you too weak to fight off the flu, and the flu can make heart disease worse.
- Many different factors place you at higher risk for heart disease.
Some of the most common heart disease risks include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, and obesity.
- Certain behaviors can also put you at risk for heart disease.
These behaviors include smoking, eating a poor diet, not exercising, and drinking alcohol excessively.
- Arteries are only about 4 millimeters in diameter.
It doesn’t take too much of those fatty, greasy foods to start clogging up the arteries. If an artery is blocked for 30 minutes or more, the blocked area can become corroded or severely damaged.
- Sitting is an independent risk factor for heart disease.
Sedentary behavior may be associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or impaired insulin sensitivity, according to the American Heart Association.
- Being physically inactive at the lowest level puts you at a higher heart risk than smoking.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only a little more than 20 percent of adults meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.Regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure. It can also improve your cholesterol levels.
- Cardiovascular disease causes an average of one death every 34 seconds in the United States.
Know the warning signs of a heart attack because this deadly disease claims as many lives as cancer, chronic lung disease, accidents, and diabetes combined.
Heart disease is entirely preventable, and being well versed on the various risks gives you your best shot of avoiding it.
