Heart Disease

Heart Disease is a hot health topic today. With all of the information about heart disease on both TV and the Internet, do

you really know which information is advice that you can trust on heart disease? How about information that is not accurate

on heart disease?

There are many different kinds of "heart disease" and we will briefly touch on those in this article, as well.

Are you ready to learn more about what heart disease is and the different types of heart disease? Good, then keep reading!

What Is Heart Disease?

What exactly is heart disease? The latest definition of heart disease is any disease that affects how the heart normally

works. Narrowing or hardening of the arteries that lead to the heart is the most common type of cardiac disease, today.

Of course this can encompass quite a few types or variations of heart disease.

Various types of heart disease include:

* Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

* Aortic regurgitation

* Aortic stenosis

* Arrhythmias

* Cardiogenic shock

* Congenital heart disease

* Coronary artery disease (CAD)

* Dilated cardiomyopathy

* Endocarditis

* Heart attack (myocardial infarction)

* Heart failure

* Heart tumor

* Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

* Idiopathic cardiomyopathy

* Ischemic cardiomyopathy

* Acute mitral regurgitation

* Chronic mitral regurgitation

* Mitral stenosis

* Mitral valve prolapse

* Peripartum cardiomyopathy

* Pulmonary stenosis

* Stable angina

* Unstable angina

* Tricuspid regurgitation

As you can see, there are many categories of what actually constitutes heart disease. Now that we have identified different

types of cardiac disease, let's explore some of the underlying causes of these diseases.

Causes Of Heart Disease

Just as many different names for cardiac disease can be confusing and complicated, so can the causes of heart disease. And we

will cover the most common causes below.

Briefly, here are some causes:

* Hypertension ("high blood pressure")

* Heart valves that do not function normally

* Electrical conduction of the heart that causes an abnormal rhythm.

* Heart's pumping function that is affected by toxins or infections.

* Congenital or "birth defects" of the heart.

How Many People Are Affected By Heart Disease?

According to the National Institute of Health, there are approximately 70.1 million people affected by some type of cardiac

disorder! Heart disease continues to be the number one cause of death in the US.

Among minorities, cardiac disease or heart disease, ranks first as leading cause of death. The rates of deaths declined for

those groups with the exception of one group, American Indian females. The time frame for this study was between 1985 and

2002.

Between 1992 and 2002, the percentage of decline of death rates for CHD (Cardiac Heart Diseas) was the highest among white

males and the least decline was in the black female population.

Financial Impact Of Cardiac Heart Disease

Besides the horrific costs of CHD in terms of personal tragedy, society also bears the brunt of the effects of this disease.

According to the study, 2005 costs for CVD(Cardiovascular Disease) were staggering. Overall, costing 393 Billion Dollars!

Costs broke down like this:

* 242 Billion Dollars for direct health care costs.

* 35 Billion Dollars for indirect costs of morbidity.

* 117 Billion Dollars in DIRECT costs of mortality.

As you can see, cardiovascular disease is one that while complicated and intricate in name and causes, is simply devastating

to both the individual and to the society that the affected comes from. It should be taken very seriously and not ignored, so

education and prevention are essential in decreasing the effects of these diseases, commonly know as cardiac disease.

This article was written and screened by a license medical professional. This article is for informational purposes only.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Heart Diseases - Causes, Symptoms, Types, Prevention & Treatment of Heart Diseases

Beside cancer, heart disease kills more than 2,000 Americans everyday. Approximately 60 million Americans have heart disease. I. Causes of Heart Diseases There are many causes of heart diseases. Most of heart diseases are caused by high blood pressure contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat. All these add to the formation of atherosclerosis lesions and eventually arterial blockage or anything that serves to damage the inner lining of blood vessels and impedes the transportation of oxygen and nutrition to the heart can be defined as a risk of heart disease. II Symptoms of Heart diseases Here are some early indication of heart disease symptoms: 1. Leg cramps during walking Leg cramps during exercise might be caused by dehydration. It is important to drink a lot of fluid during exercise. Leg cramps occur when the muscle suddenly and forc
Read more

Warning - Ignore Heart Disease At Your Peril!

Image
The Heart Disease Hit List * FACT - Heart disease is the biggest killer in the western world, and has been for more than a century. * FACT - Heart disease related deaths account for more than a third of deaths. * FACT - A large percentage of heart attack victims die before they reach hospital. * FACT - The first sign of heart disease that many heart attack victims notice is sudden excruciating pain followed by death. Shocked yet? You should be! In-fact we all should be. Many people ignore the occasional chest pain, the twinge in the arm or shoulders after a meal etc, and take no interest in reversing heart disease. Feeling safe in the knowledge that if they have a heart problem they'll go to the hospital and get fixed up; maybe take steps toward reversing heart disease through lifestyle changes if the doc says so. Sounds like a good plan huh? Unfortunately as the above statistics clearly show, the plan can fail with tragic consequences, which could be avoided by reversi
Read more

Heart Disease and Dietary Supplements - Discover the Best Nutrients to Enhance Heart Health

Many people are interested in learning more about heart disease and dietary supplements in order to educate themselves on preventive strategies against heart disease. However, before we delve into some of the best heart health supplements, let's highlight some important facts about this disease. Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease is the general term for diseases or conditions that affects the heart (cardio) or the blood vessels (vascular). As such, there are many different types of heart diseases. However, coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease. Coronary artery disease means narrowing of the coronary arteries. It is caused by a process called atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which is the gradual buildup of plague -- deposits made up of cholesterol, other fats, and calcium. Eventually, diminished blood flow can "starve" the heart muscle and lead to angina (chest pain). A complete blockage can cause a heart attack. In
Read more