When a commercial plane crashes, hundreds of people die, and the story fills the news for days. However, each day in the U.S. approximately 2400 deaths occur from cardiovascular disease alone. This would be like 6 Boeing 747's crashing per day! Yet the news broadcasts generally do not report these deaths (unless a famous person dies from a heart attack). Much effort is spent to seek to find the cause of an airplane crash- shouldn't we be as concerned with the cause of cardiovascular disease?
The World Health Organization reports that of the approximately 17 million people which die every year from heart problems alone, up to "half of them could be saved if better prevention programs were in effect." CVD is not a new disease; in fact, doctors have pulled strings of cholesterol out of the arteries of Egyptian mummies. CVD can begin very early on in life-in fact, science shows that when mothers eat a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, the arteries of their unborn child are already affected.
Who are at risk for cardiovascular disease?
Those who have any of the following risk factors:
Smoking
* About 30% of cardiovascular deaths are due to smoking. The good news is that those who stop smoking can reduce the risk by up to 75% within just a year.
High Blood Pressure
* Even small increase in the blood pressure will significantly increase one's risk of heart disease. By simply reducing your blood pressure by 10 points, you reduce your risk by 30%.
* In many cases, high blood pressure can be corrected with simple lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise.
High Cholesterol
* Overall, high cholesterol is the number 1 contributor to heart disease. The higher one's cholesterol, the more rapidly the clogging of arteries by cholesterol plaques (deposits) occurs.
to be continued....
The World Health Organization reports that of the approximately 17 million people which die every year from heart problems alone, up to "half of them could be saved if better prevention programs were in effect." CVD is not a new disease; in fact, doctors have pulled strings of cholesterol out of the arteries of Egyptian mummies. CVD can begin very early on in life-in fact, science shows that when mothers eat a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, the arteries of their unborn child are already affected.
Who are at risk for cardiovascular disease?
Those who have any of the following risk factors:
Smoking
* About 30% of cardiovascular deaths are due to smoking. The good news is that those who stop smoking can reduce the risk by up to 75% within just a year.
High Blood Pressure
* Even small increase in the blood pressure will significantly increase one's risk of heart disease. By simply reducing your blood pressure by 10 points, you reduce your risk by 30%.
* In many cases, high blood pressure can be corrected with simple lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise.
High Cholesterol
* Overall, high cholesterol is the number 1 contributor to heart disease. The higher one's cholesterol, the more rapidly the clogging of arteries by cholesterol plaques (deposits) occurs.
to be continued....