Prevention of Heart Disease

Prevention

Of

Heart Disease

Tiffany A. Harris

March, 20, 2006

Health Concepts- Saturday Class

Ms. Lewis

Heart disease has many definitions. Heart disease can be described as a structural or functional abnormality of the blood vessels supplying the heart, that impairs its normal functioning. It can also be an abnormal organic condition of the heart or of the heart and circulation. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.

There are many risk factors that contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. They are grouped into two categories. Risk that can be changed and risks that can not be changed.

Risks that can not be changed

Heredity

Aging

Being Male

Ethnicity

Risks that can be changed

Tobacco Use

High Blood Pressure

High Levels of Cholesterol

Physical Inactivity

High Triglyceride Levels

Alcohol and Drugs

Prevention

There are simple things that any person can do to help limit the risk of cardiovascular disease.

-You can decrease your fat and cholesterol intake- because heart disease is caused by fat deposits.

-Increase your fiber intake- Fiber helps traps the acids that your body organs need to manufacture cholesterol

-Increase Potassium- Potassium is important to control high blood pressure

-Exercise regularly- exercise is important and recommend to maintain your health

- Effectively get rid of stress- Heart disease can also be caused by stress. Know how to manage your stress.

Statistics

Every 34 seconds a person in the United States dies from heart disease.

More than 2,500 Americans die from heart disease each day.

Every 20 seconds, a person in the United States has a heart attack.

At least 250,000 people die of heart attacks each year before they reach a hospital.

Studies show that under-educated people are more likely to suffer heart attacks.

The countries with the highest death rates from heart disease are the Soviet Union, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.

The countries with the lowest are Japan, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Canada.

Almost 6 million hospitalizations each year (in the United States) are due to cardiovascular disease.

Since 1900, Cardio Vascular Disease has been the number 1 killer in the United States for every year but 1918.

Every 33 seconds, a person dies from Cardio Vascular Disease in the United States.