Heart Disease is the common name for coronary heart disease which is the most common form. This type of heart disease is caused by the blockage of the coronary arteries. The blockage is a result of either an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, stress, or a combination of all of these which cause plaque to build up. This plaque limits the amount of oxygenated blood to the heart. If the plaque ruptures, the blood will clot and no blood will reach to the heart, starving it of oxygen. Many people survive their first heart attack, but it is not uncommon to have a second or third heart attack because once you have a heart attack your arteries will always be damaged.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Association (February, 2017) "What is heart disease?" Retrieved (April 12, 2017) from: tps://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/hearttruth/lower-risk/what-is-heart-disease.htm
Scope of the Disease
Heart Disease affects many people in the United States. Here are some statistics to give you the extent of CVD.
• Heart disease is the Number 1 cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 787,000 people in 2011.
• Heart disease kills more people than all cancers combined.
• In the U.S. someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds, and every 60 seconds someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event.
• An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease.
• Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people annually.
• Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.
• About 720,000 people in the U.S. suffer heart attacks each year. Of these, 515,000 are a first heart attack and 205,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack. The Heart Foundation(2015)"Heart Disease: Scope and Impact." Retrieved (April 12, 2017) from: http://www.theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/heart-disease-statistics/