Heart disease, officially known as cardiovascular disease, is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease is a broad term that covers different problems impacting the heart and blood vessels.
Problems with the Blood Vessels
Atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of plaque inside the blood vessels, plays a large role in many of these conditions. Atherosclerosis impacts the ability for the blood to move through the vessels.
Plaque build-up, which is made of fatty deposits, can cause the space in the blood vessel to be limited, slowing blood flow. The plaque can also break off from the side of the vessels and into the blood stream, which can cause clots and blockages. When a part of the body doesn’t receive the blood it requires, that part begins to die.
A heart attack is the common name for a myocardial infarction. That means the death of part of the heart muscle. This happens when a blood vessel bringing blood to the heart is blocked, essentially depriving that muscle of oxygen. Disease in the blood vessels feeding the heart is known as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and is the most common form of cardiovascular disease.
A stroke is when the brain is deprived of blood flow, killing brain cells. This can happen through a ruptured vessel, known as a hemorrhagic stroke, or through a blockage in the vessel, known as an ischemic stroke. Cardiovascular disease in the blood vessels feeding the brain is known as Carotid Artery Disease.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is when the vessels feeding the arms and legs have plaque deposits. Blockages can cause pain in the legs, but it can lead to gangrene and limb loss.
Heart Rhythm Problems
Problems with the electrical system of the heart can cause irregular heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias. This can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly. All of these problems impact how the heart pumps blood through the body and can cause other problems.
To learn more, read about Riverside’s Heart Rhythm Disorder’s Program.
Problems with the Heart’s Valves
When heart disease impacts the heart’s valves, it can impact how blood moves through the heart. Heart valve disease can make the heart pump harder to keep up eventually leading to heart failure.
Learn more about Riverside’s Heart Valve Disease Program.
Heart Defects
Problems in the structure of the heart can also cause the heart to have to work harder. Usually, these defects are congenital heart defects, meaning that someone was born with the problems. Typically, these are diagnosed and managed in childhood. Some defects are not detected until adulthood, such as Atrial Septal Defects and Patent Foramen Ovales (PFOs).
Learn about Riverside’s Heart Defect Program.
Problems with the Heart Muscle
A problem with the heart muscle is known as cardiomyopathy. There are different types of cardiomyopathies, but they all impact the heart’s ability to pump blood through the body. The weakening of the heart muscle can cause other problems, such heart rhythm problems or cardiac arrest.
What Are the Risk Factors for Developing Heart Disease?
Uncontrollable risk factors of heart disease include:
- Older age
- Sex
- Family history of heart disease
- Race / Ethnicity (Black, Hispanic and Native Americans have a higher risk)
- History of high-risk pregnancy (such as preeclampsia) or early menopause
- Certain medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease or rheumatoid arthritis
Controllable risk factors include:
- Smoking
- High cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Obesity (BMI > 25)
- Physical Inactivity
- Poor diet or nutrition
- Alcohol use
- Uncontrolled stress, depression or anger
How Can I Know My Personal Risk?
Understanding your risk of heart disease empowers you to take charge of your own health. Researchers have developed tools to assess an individual’s risk of heart disease. These tools utilize information such as age, sex, race, cholesterol, blood pressure and medication use to determine the likelihood of developing heart disease.
It is important to note that these tools are not intended to be used by individuals who have already been diagnosed with heart disease such as atherosclerosis or heart failure. They are primarily intended for individuals to estimate risk before any heart disease develops.
By utilizing these tools to assess your risk of developing heart disease you can gain insight into your health. This can help you identify healthy steps you can take to improve your health.
ACC Cardiovascular Disease Risk Calculator
The American College of Cardiology developed the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) Risk Calculator to determine the risk of an adult between the ages of 40 – 79 developing heart disease in the next 10 years. It can also help determine the risk of someone aged 20-59 developing heart disease in their lifetime.
AHA PREVENT™ Online Calculator
The American Heart Association also developed a similar tool known as the Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs (PREVENT™) tool. It is intended for individuals who are aged 30 – 79 to determine their risk of developing heart disease in the next 10 years.
What to Do If Heart Disease Risk is High
If you use this tool and identify the risk is high, it is important to discuss this with your healthcare provider. Together you can develop a plan to improve the controllable risk factors. These steps could include:
- Stop smoking
- Improving diet
- Increase physical activity
- Decrease weight to achieve a healthy BMI
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Managing cholesterol, blood pressure or diabetes through medication as needed
- Identify ways to manage stress
Even if your risk isn’t high, it is important to continue to monitor your own health and discuss any concerns with your healthcare provider.
Scheduling your annual physical with your primary care provider is also important, so you can keep track of things like cholesterol and blood pressure which may not show any symptoms. To schedule your appointment with a Riverside provider you can utilize Riverside MyChart or call 757-534-5352 (or on the Eastern Shore call 757-302-2835.)