Prevalence of Heart Disease
More people die of heart disease in the United States than of any other cause. Every year, approximately 647,000 Americans die from heart disease. One out of every four deaths is attributed to heart disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease killing approximately 366,000 people each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).
Heart disease is caused by a buildup of plaque inside the arteries which decreases blood flow. When these plaques rupture, a blood clot can form which can block the blood vessel, stopping the flow of blood. If this happens in the coronary arteries of the heart, a myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack, is often the result. Every year in the United States, 805,000 Americans have a heart attack (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). One out of every five of these heart attacks is silent, meaning the person has no idea that damage to the heart has occurred (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).
Watch this video to understand the process of atherosclerosis more clearly and what it’s role is in heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. This map shows the annual rate of heart disease county by county.
Risk Factors
There are a number of risk factors for heart disease. High blood pressure (hypertension), high blood cholesterol levels, and smoking are three key risk factors for heart disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Other risk factors include an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, excessive consumption of alcohol, stress, diabetes, obesity, family history of heart disease, age, and gender (Mayo Clinic, 2018).
Lifestyle choices can greatly influence the risk of heart disease. Modifying lifestyle is the top choice for treating patients with mild to moderate hypertension and is also the recommended top choice for patients with cardiovascular risk factors (Lundberg, Jong, Kristiansen, & Jong, 2017). In fact, the majority of cases of heart disease could be prevented by changing unhealthy behaviors.
According to Dr. Brent James, a physician and the Executive Director of the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Research for Intermountain Healthcare, the greatest determinant of health, by far, is behavior (James, 2014). An unhealthy diet high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol can increase risk, as can tobacco use and consuming too much alcohol. Too little physical activity also increases the risk of heart disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). These lifestyle behaviors are interrelated and can lead to a synergistic effect on heart disease and mortality (Lee, Choi, Yum, Yu, & Chair, 2016).
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Heart Disease Facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm#:~:text=Heart%20disease%20is%20the%20leading,1%20in%20every%204%20deaths.
James, B. C. (2014, March 18). We Count Our Successes in Lives: Health versus Health Care [Video file]. Retrieved from https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brent-c-james/count-successes-lives-health-versus-health-care/
Lee, W. W., Choi, K., Yum, R. W., Yu, D. S., & Chair, S. (2016, January). Effectiveness of motivational interviewing on lifestyle modification and health outcomes of clients at risk or diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 53, 331-341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2015.09.010
Lundberg, K., Jong, M. C., Kristiansen, L., & Jong, M. (2017, March/April). Health Promotion in Practice—District Nurses׳ Experiences of Working with Health Promotion and Lifestyle Interventions Among Patients at Risk of Developing Cardiovascular Disease. Explore, 13, 108-115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2016.12.001
Mayo Clinic (2018). Heart disease. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353118