What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term that covers diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Here are a few facts that make the severity of this disease clear.
One in five Americans suffers from some form of cardiovascular disease.
More than 954,000 Americans die from cardiovascular disease each year— that's 42 percent of all deaths in this country.
These diseases cost an estimated $259 billion in health care costs and lost productivity.
In atherosclerosis, fatty deposits called plaque form on the inner walls of arteries. Plaque may damage artery walls or block blood flow, and blood clots may form on the surface of the deposit. If blood flow is totally blocked by the plaque or blood clot, a heart attack or stroke results.
- 2.3 million Americans have atherosclerosis.
Coronary heart disease begins with atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with blood. When these vessels become narrowed, the heart doesn't get enough oxygen, and angina or heart attack often results.
- Coronary heart disease is responsible for one out of every five deaths in this country.
A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery becomes fully blocked by plaque or a blood clot or both. Heart muscle cells die without the oxygen that is normally supplied by the blocked artery. One-third of all heart attacks result in death. Often, only a small portion of the heart muscle is damaged, and recovery is likely.
- A half million people die of heart attacks each year in the United States, making it the leading single cause of death.
Angina refers to chest pain due to coronary heart disease. With a partially blocked coronary artery, physical exertion may mean the heart doesn't get enough oxygen. The pain that results is the heart muscle's distress signal.
- 7.1 million Americans suffer from angina
Arrhythmias are irregular rhythms of the heartbeat that often cause less effective pumping of blood. They are caused by disturbances in the electrical impulses that control the heartbeat. Heart attacks frequently lead to fatal arrhythmias.
- 4.5 million Americans have arrhythmias