Heart Disease : The Number One Killer

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States, causing about 610,000 deaths yearly (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Cardiovascular disease is defined as a group of disorders damaging the heart and blood vessels, usually involving the blockage of vessels, which in turn harm the heart (WHO, 2015). A 2011 American Heart Association statement predicted that without intervention, 40% of United States adults will have at least one form of Cardiovascular disease by 2030. A large portion of these deaths by cardiovascular disease is due to the sedentary population. To better prevent cardiovascular disease, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee stated that adults should complete about 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity weekly (Barry, Blair, Church, Hooker, Sui, Warren, 2010). Research has shown that meeting these recommendations is linked with lower cardiovascular disease risk, as well as reduced risk of mortality. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only about 20.3% of Americans meet these guidelines. These statistics show that the majority of the United States population does not get nearly the amount of physical activity they need. However, even though many people are not doing the recommended amount of physical activity, this may not mean that they are living a sedentary life. Living a sedentary lifestyle is

Americans are neglecting the top killer in our society, and each year this killer claims hundreds of thousands of more lives. This killer is not terrorism, but rather a completely preventable disease: heart disease. The epidemic is so serious that more than 1/3 of the adult population has some form of heart disease and “if all deaths from major [cardiovascular disease] were eliminated, life expectancy in the United States would increase by about 7 years” (Hoeger 384). As a society and as individuals, we need to fight back and lower the rate of heart disease. The best way to combat America’s top killer is to educate ourselves about heart disease and use exercise and lifestyle changes to lower our risk.

The cardiovascular disease defines conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels. Thrombosis, which emanates from blood clots, reduced blood flow to the heart, brain and the rest of the body. When fatty acids deposit in the artery, it hardens and narrows. These issues lead to stroke, coronary heart disease, aortic disease and peripheral arterial disease. Coronary heart disease occurs due to a reduced or blocked flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. It is a result of accumulated fats in the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries are a set of blood vessels that take blood to the heart. When they become narrow, the heart gets less of a supply of blood and oxygen causing chest pains, called angina or a heart attack, explains VanMeter &

The American Heart Association reports an even gloomier number, “Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths. Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing a number of chronic disorders. (AHA, 2005).

Tobacco use also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, whether it being smoking or chewing tobacco. The risk is particularly higher if the person started smoking at a young age, smokes heavily and/or if the person is a woman. No matter how long that person has been smoking for, stopping can make a major difference when it comes to cardiovascular diseases. Physical inactivity is also a modifiable risk factor, obesity is a big problem in many countries and it increases the risk of heart diseases by 50%. Obesity also leads people to diabetes, which is also a risk. 31% or coronary heart diseases and 11% of the strokes worldwide are due to a high diet in fats, this is a big deal in certain countries because high diets in fats are seen everywhere. Another factor is being poor. It is normal that low income will make people's lives lean towards a stressful one, one where there is social anxiety, isolation and depression, which are all reasons why a person can get cardiovascular diseases. When someone abuses alcohol, drinking more than two drinks a day, it increases their risks as well. There are a few other modifiable risk factors, such as taking certain medications.

Cardiovascular disease has reportedly been the number one disease killer for men and women in the United States of America. Every one out of four deaths is caused by heart disease in the United States alone (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention). Heart disease refers to the different types of conditions and symptoms that can affect the one’s heart and its functions to the body (Mayo Clinic). Cardiovascular/Heart disease has many causes and conditions, prevention methods and symptoms, and treatment options.

There are numerous health disparities and issues worldwide affecting all different people in the United States. Some of these issues tend to affect our population. Many people lack the knowledge of how heart disease is developed. Heart Disease is the leading cause of deaths. Over 600,000 Americans die from heart disease each year. Anyone can develop heart disease, regardless of a person’s age, gender, and ethnical background. In some cases, people are born with heart disease.

The leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. Heart disease is classified as a chronic disease. Chronic diseases are long-lasting conditions that can be controlled but not cured. Overall chronic diseases account for about 70% of deaths in the United States. The most common examples of chronic diseases include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and high blood pressure. Though chronic diseases are shown to be the major cause of death around the world, they can easily be prevented. One of the easiest ways to prevent majority of chronic diseases is to exercise (The Center for Managing Chronic Disease). By exercising at a minimum of 20 minutes a day at a moderate intensity people can reduce the risks of developing a chronic disease therefore increasing their life expectancy.

Heart Disease is the number one leading cause of death in the United States. Anyone, including children, can develop heart disease. Heart Disease has three major categories that are used to describe Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), which affects the heart and the circulatory of blood being pumped into the heart (AHA, 2015). According to the Center for Disease and Control (CDC), Heart disease has consistently been the leading cause of death for both US men and women since 1935(CDC, 2014), with men being affected more than women with heart disease. According to the Census Bureau data of 2014, the overall population in the United States is 318.9 million people in Kings County, Brooklyn, New York making 30.8% with 2, 592,149 of the population and growing (Census, 2014). As of 2014, Kings County is the second most populated area in New York City. Kings County has one of the largest populations of people who are less than 20 years old, with 7.6% of its population under the age of five and 12.1% over the age of 65. Moreover, the life expectancy for King County is 82, compares to the overall life expectancy in the United States at 79. Thus, heart disease is the number highest mortality rate in Kings County, Brooklyn. Heart Disease and Stroke are among the most costly health problems, with $500 billion in health care expenditures and related expenses in 2010 along (HealthyPeople 2020, 2014).

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and also one of the most preventable. In 2005, the total number of cardiovascular disease deaths had increased globally to 17.5 million from 14.4 million since 1990. Symptoms and triggers of this disease consist of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes, poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity. Over time, these risk factors cause changes in the heart and blood vessels that can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes. By 2013, 614,348 people died in the United States from heart disease, in my opinion that almost sounds like a pandemic.

One of America’s leading cause of death is smoking. Smoking has been around for years and doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. The effects of smoking harms about every organ in the body, for example: the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, mouth, reproductive organs, bones, bladder, and digestive organs. Smokers use that “it’s my body, I do what I want,” The problem with that is smoking doesn’t just affect the person doing it. It harms other people in the ways; it’s called 2nd hand smoking. People who receive second hand smoking are possible to get a disease as a person who smokes regularly. It might not be as serve but will still be not good. Most people are trying to quit but aren’t trying hard enough without motivation. Smoking is one of the most common causes of death however quitting now will decrease your chances of disease and death.

Heart disease causes almost thirty percent of elderly death each year and caused twenty-five percent of all deaths in 2008 (cardiosmart), yet despite its high death rates, we often are not taught the preventative measures before it is too late. While some risk factors of cardiovascular disease are uncontrollable (such as genetics, race, and age) many can be reduced through lifestyle changes. It is important to understand the risk factors, prevention methods, and types of cardiovascular disease.

1. Quit Smoking: Each year more than 135,000 people die from smoking related heart-disease (WebMd).

Cardiovascular disease is the world's public health enemy number one, and Coronary atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all cardiovascular diseases, it costs a huge amount of medical and social resources each year and seriously affects the public health and life. With the development of society, the cardiovascular disease in developed and developing countries is the main health issues, so how to accurately distinguish between high-risk groups, and further evaluate the risk stratification and prognosis of the population is extremely important. Our study found that PDW, MPV, and P-LCR changes were positively correlated with coronary heart disease, both for patients with stable or unstable coronary heart disease

The Surgeon General has called it "the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States." Smoking is among the top preventable risk factors of heart disease amongst many other health problems. Coronary heart disease and strokes are the primary types of cardiovascular disease caused by smoking. They rank as the first and third leading causes of death in the United States. More than 61 million Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. Smoking increases your risk for high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and aneurysms to name a few. More than 2,600 Americans die every day from cardiovascular diseases.