American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month, and with very good reason. The number one cause of death in all industrialized countries is cardiovascular disease - better known as heart disease. According to the most recent statistics, approximately one-half of all people in industrialized countries will prematurely die of heart disease. An amazing thing about these facts is that heart disease is a product of this century!
Prior to the 1900's, heart disease was rarely known as a cause of death. Another solemn fact about heart disease is that it develops over a lifetime of poor lifestyle choices. Of course, some people have a genetic predisposition toward heart disease, however, this is more reason to pay closer attention to lifestyle factors which we do have control over, such as diet, exercise, and stress management.
Cardiovascular disease(s) (CVD) remains the number one killer in North America. These diseases, which encompass illnesses concerning the heart and blood vessels, include heart attack, stroke, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, and high blood pressure.
In the United States in 1994, CVD claimed 954,720 lives - representing nearly half (41.8 percent) of all deaths - making it by far the worse scourge we have. The next three highest killers - cancer, accidents, and AIDS - accounted for a total of 668,930 deaths - (536,860; 90,140; and 41,930 deaths, respectively.) According to current estimates, 57,490,000 United States citizens have one or more forms of CVD.
Things are not any better for those living in Canada. In 1992, cardiovascular disease accounted for 38 percent of all Canadian deaths. Cancer accounted for approximately 28 percent.
Risk factors are conditions and habits associated with an increased risk or likelihood of developing CVD. For each risk factor a person has, the likelihood of experiencing some type of CVD multiplies.
Although various organizations define and categorize risk factors somewhat differently, they all acknowledge three general categories: risk factors that cannot be changed and primary and contributing risk factors that can be changed.
Age, sex, and heredity are three unchangeable factors. As we age, risk increases. Approximately four out of five people who die of a heart attack are over age 65. At older ages, women who have heart attacks are twice as likely as men are who have heart attacks, to die from them within a few weeks.
Men are more likely to have coronary heart disease than women are, whether younger or older. Finally, children of those who have had some type of CVD are more likely to develop it.
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