About 30.3 million adults in the United States are diagnosed with heart disease every year. Heart diseases include any complications that cause damage to the heart and its functioning. Common types include coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
Common symptoms include chest pain, fatigue, nausea, breathlessness, and irregular heartbeat. It is important to recognize signs early to prevent the worsening of your disease since it could lead to death. Your healthcare provider can do effective screening tests for early detection and diagnose you correctly. Stress testing and low dose CT scans are tests you can find at Life Imaging Fla.
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Age
The vascular system changes over time as the person grows older. People aged 65 and above are more likely to be diagnosed with heart diseases. The formation of plaque in arteries over the years can narrow or block them, causing several heart complications due to lack of proper blood flow. Arteries harden with age resulting in loss of elasticity. Men also have more risk of heart attacks than women.
Smoking
Arteries are lined by a layer of cells called the endothelium. These cells are associated with the immune system, vascular contraction and relaxation, and control clotting of the blood. Smoking damages the endothelium layer, which enables cholesterol plaque formation on artery linings. This buildup causes blood clotting, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate. The nicotine in smoking results in less oxygen reaching the heart.
Obesity
Unhealthy lifestyles with harmful diets and no exercise can be a significant risk complication for various health problems, including heart disease. It also leads to a decrease in high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL), which reduces the chances of heart diseases and helps remove bad cholesterol. It also makes you more prone to getting diagnosed with diabetes which is also one of the factors contributing to the risk of heart disease. Diabetes results in high glucose levels in the blood, which damages blood vessels, nerves, and the heart.
High blood pressure
When blood flow exerts extreme pressure on the artery walls for long periods, the chances of heart diseases increase. Often, hypertension occurs due to underlying health conditions such as kidney diseases, congenital disabilities, thyroid complications, and obstructive sleep apnea.
It is essential to take measures to care for your health and reduce the risk of heart diseases. Activities such as more exercise, a good and balanced diet, quitting smoking, and managing stress well can improve your heart and overall health and the quality of your life.