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Patient getting their heart listened to by a doctor

Cardiovascular Disease Basics

February 27, 2018

Talk to your physician and learn about the latest treatments and lifestyle strategies to lower your risk.

Fast facts about heart disease

  • The No. 1 cause of death for men and women in the United States.
  • Kills more women than men after age 45.
  • Progresses stealthily and silently.
  • As many as 50 percent of people with heart disease have no symptoms until a heart attack occurs.
  • The leading cause of premature and permanent disability among American workers.
  • Responsible for more than 6 million hospitalizations a year.
  • Smokers are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as nonsmokers.

Risk factors

  • Obesity.
  • Diabetes.
  • Smoking.
  • High LDL: low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol.
  • High blood pressure.

Fast facts about high blood pressure

  • Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against vessel walls. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition where the pressure on your arteries is chronically above the normal range.
  • 50 million Americans - 1 in 4 adults - have it.
  • Usually doesn't have any symptoms - that's why it's called the "silent killer."
  • Contributing factor in stroke, heart attack, kidney problems, eye problems - and death.

Risk factors

  • Ethnicity: 35% of African-Americans have hypertension, accounting for 20% of African-American deaths in the United States - twice the percentage of deaths among whites from hypertension.
  • Age: risk increases after 35.
  • Diet.
  • Obesity.
  • Sedentary lifestyle.
  • Kidney disease.
  • Pregnancy.

(Source: American Heart Association.)

What can you do about it?

Talk to your physician and learn about the latest treatments and lifestyle strategies to lower your risk. Kelsey-Seybold cardiologists offer proven therapies and technology for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease. Call 832-266-0676 to make an appointment.

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