What causes Heart Disease?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year. That is 1 case of fatal heart disease in every 4 deaths. Cardiovascular disease is caused by many conditions, but the primary ones are blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problems, and heart defects you're born with.
Environmental Risk Factors:
Genetic Risk Factors:
Environmental Risk Factors:
- Smoking- Cigarette smoking is the largest preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths. Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders. Many studies detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.- American Heart Association (1924) " American Heart Association" retrieved (April 10,2017) from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
- Pollution- Can come from traffic, factories, power generation, wildfires or even cooking with a wood stove. Studies have shown increases in deaths and hospitalizations when there are high concentrations of smog. Pollution is also believed to have inflammatory effects on the heart, causing chronic cardiovascular problems. Short-term exposure can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure in people, such as the elderly or those with medical conditions. The risk of death is greater from long-term exposure. It also may play a role in high blood pressure, heart failure and diabetes.- WebMD(2005)”WebMD Heart Disease Health Center – Information About Heart Disease” retrieved (April 7, 2017) from http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease
- High Blood Pressure- High blood pressure caused by stress, physical inactivity, and poor diets strain the heart and cause damage to the coronary arteries and weaken the heart. The High pressure is caused by deposits of fat in the arteries, narrowing it over time. The narrowing of the arteries make the heart work harder to receive the same amount of blood. As time progresses, blood clots are more likely to form, and when the artery is blocked the heart doesn't receive any oxygen. The heart, depleted of oxygen, then lapses into a heart attack.- CDC (August 10, 2015) "Heart Disease" retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm
Genetic Risk Factors:
- Family History- The risk of heart disease is tied closely to family history of the disease. If you have had any relation with some one with heart disease you run a very high risk of getting heart disease yourself. Stroke and heart disease usually affect more than one person in a family. With cases of heart disease in immediate family, maintaining a health environment is strongly advised. American Heart Association (July 2015) " Family history and Stroke" retrieved (April 10, 2017) from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/Family-History-and-Heart-Disease-Stroke_UCM_442849_Article.jsp#.WO1yG4grKUn
- Genes- The first time that heart disease was linked back to a gene was in 1985 when Lehrman and his colleagues found that in a patients LDLR gene there was a mutation causing high blood pressure and fats to be deposited in the coronary arteries. Since then, nineteen other genes, when mutated, have been found to cause high blood pressure which can lead to a heart attack. Genetics Home Reference (March 2007)"LDLR Gene" retrieved (April 11, 2017) from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/LDLR#sourcesforpage
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2011). "Heart Disease Risk Factors" Video File. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRsLryQ57R4
Citations:
- CDC (August 10, 2015) "Heart Disease" retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm
- WebMD(2005)”WebMD Heart Disease Health Center – Information About Heart Disease” retrieved (April 7, 2017) from http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease
- American Heart Association (1924) " American Heart Association" retrieved (April 10,2017) from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/