Heart is undoubtedly the most important organ in our body. It pumps blood and oxygen to each and every tissue of the body. If the heart stops functioning properly, it will directly affect the pumping action, which will eventually cause other vital organs such as kidneys and brain, to suffer. What if the heart stops functioning altogether? The person will die within just a few minutes because our very ‘life’ depends on our heart.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States of America. As per the recent statistics, over 4.5 million men and women die because of heart disease every year in US alone. Therefore, it is always wise to learn more about the various aspects associated with this killer disease. The more informed you are, the better will be your plan of action to help prevent this life-threatening disease.
What Is Heart Disease?
There can be a number of conditions, such as cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other such things that can affect the functioning of the heart. Heart disease refers to the disorder in our body system that disrupts the vital pumping action of the heart. It is also known as cardiovascular disease. In general, when a person thinks about heart disease, he/she usually thinks of coronary artery disease. Here, it is very important for you to understand that there are different types of heart disease, each affecting the heart in several ways. Coronary artery disease is just one of these diseases. Other types may include ischemic heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, vascular disease (blood vessel disease), pericardial disease, heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), congenital heart disease, heart valve disease, and heart failure.
Heart Failure
Heart failure is a frightening prospect. When the heart fails, it means it stops pumping as efficiently as it should. This type of heart disease is more common in people that are older than sixty-five years.
Abnormal Heart Rhythms
The heart is a wonderful organ. While it pumps blood in your body, it keeps beating at the rate of sixty to hundred times per minute, which means about 100,000 times every day. But, sometimes because of some medical reasons, this rhythm is interrupted and the heart beat goes out of sync. This condition is referred to as abnormal heart rhythm.
The good news is that the different conditions that may lead to potentially fatal heart disease are preventable and treatable. All you have to do is to take the right action at the right time. Information plays the key role here. To put it simply, you can say that heart disease is completely preventable through risk factor awareness and changes in lifestyle. This website is dedicated to help you with just that.