Heart attacks and heart disease unfortunately are a sad fact of a life with our current state of health and affairs.  The numbers are on the rise, largely due to poor diet choices, as well as environmental toxins, and bad health habits.  Below are a few heart attack statistics and facts that should shed a bit of light on what’s really going on with our health.

Heart Attack Statistics and Facts:

There are about 500,000 deaths resulting from a heart attack in the U.S. each year.  That number is out of the nearly 1.5 million heart attacks that actually occur each year in the U.S.

Annually, more than 233,000 women die of some sort of cardiovascular disease.  Sudden death is much more common in women experiencing a heart attack.

About every 20 seconds, somewhere a heart attack occurs.  Some one dies from a heart attack every minute.

It’s been shown that almost 14 million people in America have a history of either heart attacks or angina.

How is this for a heart attack statistic-  50% of deaths that happen, happen within an hour of the heart attack, outside of the hospital.

For those that are lucky enough to survive long enough to reach a hospital, they have an early mortality rate of 6- 9%.

Common times that heart attacks occur have been shown to be early morning, when blood platelets are stickier, and also Monday morning.  Saturday morning comes in a close second.

Deaths from all types of cancer through out the U.S. are still half as common as the deaths triggered by cardiovascular disease.

These are just a few of the many heart attack statistics available.  Run a search through Google, and you are sure to find many more where that came from.  Those are some very scary numbers!

There are many things a person can do to prevent heart disease and reduce their risks: cardio workouts either on an electric treadmill or through an actual aerobic class can help, also, eating foods low in cholesterol and “bad” fats can also reduce one’s risk for heart disease.

Coronary heart disease causes and symptoms are pretty much similar to other heart disease causes and symptoms.  The number one contributor to coronary heart disease causes is a disease called atherosclerosis, which is what happens when plaque builds up on the walls of blood vessels and arteries.  This will cause the blood vessels to harden and narrow which means less blood reaches the heart.

In coronary heart disease, this happens to the coronary arteries.  This can cause a rupture of the vessel, which in turn will cause a blood clot.  The blood clot will cover the ruptured area, in which blood flow has already been greatly reduced, and reduce it even more.  The clot hardens and even less blood reaches the heart the way it’s supposed to.

Cardiac ishemia then happens, which is one of the coronary heart disease causes.  This is when blood supply is cut off, and if it happens abruptly, a heart attack occurs, robbing the heart muscle of necessary oxygen.  Cells begin to die and the damage to the heart can be permanent.

Coronary heart disease causes and symptoms can vary.  In many cases, some people feel no pain or discomfort whatsoever.  Still others experience chest pain and shortness of breath.  In some cases, the only symptom or warning one might get is cardiac arrest or a heart attack itself!

In men, angina can be a possible symptom.  In women, it often feels more like indigestion or shortness of breath than typical angina.  Often this less typical form of angina may not be eased by rest or caused  by exertion.  Any of these can be coronary heart disease causes and should be closely monitored by your doctor in order to provide the best protection to your heart and health.

Heart disease treatments can vary, depending upon your condition and what type of heart disease you may be suffering from. Heart disease is a bit of an umbrella term for various heart related health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, high blood cholesterol levels, congenital heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, etc. You get the picture!

So based on that, heart disease treatments can differ greatly as far as medications that are prescribed for a particular ailment. You wouldn’t take a blood pressure medication if your cholesterol was high, and vice versa. Likewise, you wouldn’t take antibiotics for high cholesterol, if you were suffering from rheumatic heart disease.

However, three things ring true for all heart disease treatments, regardless of the type of heart disease you are suffering from. Those are diet, exercise, and baby aspirin if you are having chest pain! This is not to say you have to look up info on how to get a six pack, but if you do and follow the advice you will be thankful. (A six pack won’t show unless you reduce your amount of body fat and thus also reduce and “treat” heart disease at the same time.)

Also bad habits like smoking and excessive drinking will both make heart disease worse, regardless of what type you may be suffering from. If you feel like smoking and drinking are too hard to give up, you can steer towards more healthy choices such as wine (in moderation) or products such as e cigarette which still provide nicotine, but not the tar and second hand smoke.

The most effective of heart disease treatments on the market today are preventative. That means stop fueling your body with a bunch of unhealthy junk food that taxes your heart, and start loading up on whole foods like fresh fruits and veggies, as well as moderate lean meats and protein from heart healthy sources like soy.

Also start including exercise into your day, even if only for a few minutes each day. Exercise is considered one of the best heart disease treatments on the block, as it strengthens the heart muscle itself, and gets blood and nutrients circulating around properly, as well as vital oxygen.

Baby aspirin is also something you should keep handy at all times, as it can thin out the blood and get it flowing back to your heart properly if you are experiencing chest pain due to some sort of heart disease. It is most likely listed in the little black book of heart disease treatments, it is so commonly prescribed! So there you have it, the three most common heart disease treatments that are prescribed. Take note and start your own road to a healthy heart!

A heart attack diet is an essential part of a cardiac rehabilitation program.  When carefully planned and thought out,  a heart attack diet and nutrition plan  can either prevent a heart attack if you have never had one and are at risk, or can prevent a re occurrence.  But what to eat?  Eating healthy foods, including whole foods is the absolute key, as well as a largely vegetarian diet of fresh veggies and fruit, as well as whole grains and some heart healthy nuts and seeds.
During the first week following a heart attack, it’s important to take it easy.  Your heart attack diet should include several mini meals, all of them low sodium.  Also avoid cold liquids.  Some veggies to try are asparagus and carrots.  Both are easy on the system, low in salt, and provide essential nutrients.

It is also important to include essential fatty acids in your heart attack diet plan.  Look for  unrefined, cold pressed nut and seed oils like flax seed oil.  You can mix it into any foods that doesn’t require heating, or use it as a salad dressing with vinegar.  The fatty acids help to keep your arteries clear by reducing blood cholesterol levels.

Another important component to a heart attack diet, is to stay away from saturated fats and trans fats.  Most red meats are high in saturated fats.  Also, avoid things like shortening, margarine, and processed foods.  Instead find your protein in things like beans, soy, and fish or chicken.

Other great foods to add to a heart attack diet are magnesium rich foods like tofu, broccoli, and spinach, as well as garlic.  Garlic has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as lower blood pressure.

Also things like almonds and walnuts, cayenne pepper, sea veggies and sea kelp, as well as onions are great additions to a heart attack diet, to keep your body functioning at it’s optimum health level.  Just be consistent, and your health will improve!

Another key factor in preventing heart disease is not only watching your diet, but also adding exercise to your daily routine. This is often over looked, but it can help you take off excess pounds and give you more energy and motivation to eat better. If you eat right and exercise, you surely will lose weight fast, really faster than you ever realized, and in return, will reduce your risk for heart disease. Diet AND exercise matters!

The Heart Attack Age- Is There Any Such Thing?

There is no such thing as a common heart attack age.  Although heart attacks tend to be less common in folks under 40, the sad fact is just about any one at any age can suffer from a heart attack.

There are children that are born with congenital heart defects that suffer from heart attacks.  There are 20 year olds that are under a severe amount of stress or pressure that suffer from heart attacks.  Heart attacks are very common, especially with the current state of our health today, and there is no ‘heart attack age’.
One thing that makes a heart attack very possible in both the young and the old, is the obesity epidemic we are currently riding.  So many Americans are overweight and do very little exercise, which puts them at an extreme risk for heart disease conditions as well as a heart attack.  It also puts them at risk for diabetes and stroke.

There are others who put themselves under extreme physical stress, and because they are not used to it, and their hearts may be unknowingly weak, they can suffer from a heart attack.  Once again, there is no heart attack age.  Heart attacks happen, and age doesn’t always have a lick to do with it!

One thing to be careful of, if you live in extreme climates is heat stroke.  There was a young man in his late 20’s that had a heart attack on the roof of a house he was working on, due to heat stroke.  He wasn’t over 40, yet he still experienced a heart attack.  Unfortunately this young man died from it, and that is the reality.  There is no heart attack age, and just about anyone can experience a heart attack, fatal or otherwise.

The best thing you can do is take all the preventative measure available, and try to keep your heart and your body within optimum health.  This will determine YOUR heart attack age.  Hopefully, if you take care of yourself, that age will never come!

Also see: Fat Burning Pills

Is There A Cure For Heart Disease?

Many people may be asking if there is a cure for heart disease.  However, unfortunately at this time in science there is no cure for heart disease or heart problems.  There are however preventative measures you can take to lower your risk.

Number one is get that body moving!  Having a healthy body weight can go a long way in preventing heart disease.  About 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. right now are completely sedentary.  The recommended “dose” of exercise by doctors is to aim for at least 30 minutes daily, 6 days per week.  If you can do more, even better.  Also, exercise is a bit like adding money to the bank.  Every little bit helps, and can add up, so don’t feel like you have to do 30 minutes all at once! One good way to measure heart rate is with a heart rate monitor. There are a variety available on the market that will fit many budgets. Read more »

Signs of heart disease can be prominent, or they can be subtle.  Sometimes you may not notice any signs of heart disease at all, which is a pretty scary thought to ponder.  However, knowing what to look for can up your chances of spotting it early and taking treatment and preventative measures. Read more »

Rheumatic cardiac heart disease is caused by rheumatic fever.  During the fever, permanent damage is caused to the heart valves.  In many cases this begins with a case of strep throat, that then progresses to rheumatic fever because of the bacteria streptococcus A.  Generally it is caused when strep throat is left untreated. Read more »

Is Stress A Cause Of Heart Disease?

Many of you may be wondering, is stress really a cause of heart disease?  The short answer is no one really knows for sure.  Stress is considered a contributing factor to heart disease, which means its link and effects are largely unknown and just pondered upon.  Due to the largely different reactions we all have to stress, whether it is emotional, physical, or mental, it is hard to really pin down the exact effects it has on the heart and it’s health. Read more »

Heart disease risks fall into either the major category or the contributing category.  Since we have already covered the major heart disease risks, this article will go over the contributing factors.

The first contributing factor thought to increase your heart disease risks is stress.  Stress is considered by many to be the number one killer in America, and it very well may be true.  The reason it’s effects on heart disease are largely unknown, is because each of us deal with stress differently, so it is hard to pinpoint it’s exact effects upon the heart.  Plus stress can contribute to other risk factors in search of comfort, such as smoking or over eating. Read more »