According to the CDC Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.People of all ages and backgrounds can get the condition. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
- About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
- Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing over 370,000 people.
Some of the main factors that increase your risk of Heart Disease include:
- Cholesterol levels – When there is too much cholesterol in the body, because of diet and the rate at which the cholesterol is processed, it is deposited in arteries, including those of the heart. This can lead to narrowing of the arteries, heart disease, and other complications. When checking your Cholesterol levels we look at your LDL
- High Blood Pressure – High blood pressure is another major risk factor for heart disease. It is a condition where the pressure of the blood in the arteries is too high. There are often no symptoms to signal high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure by changes in lifestyle or by medication can lower the risk of heart disease and heart attack.
- Diabetes: Diabetes also increases a person’s risk for heart disease. With diabetes, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin, can’t use its own insulin as well as it should, or both. This causes sugars to build up in the blood. About three–quarters of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. For people with diabetes, it is important to work with a healthcare provider to help in managing it and controlling other risk factors.
Whys to reduce your risk of heart disease include:
- Tobacco use: Tobacco use increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack. If you have just started smoking or have been a smoker your whole life there are ways we can help you quit smoking. Often insurances will cover medication and treatment to help you quit. Please book an appointment today with one of our providers who can help you decide which method to quit smoking is right for you.
- Alcohol: Excessive alcohol use leads to an increase in blood pressure, and increases the risk for heart disease. Having small amounts of alcohol at
- Diet and Exercise: Here at Dr. Barbara’s office we look at each individual patients lifestyle and from there make decisions on how to modify diet and exercise. We would prefer not to have patients go directly on a statin medication, but work together to make lifestyle changes to ensure our patients lead a healthy lifestyle. Please see our Healthy Lifestyle link for how you can lead your best life.
