Citation-Heart Disease Factors in United States

Heart Disease Factors in United States
In the United States, more than 60 million Americans have some form of heart disease. Heart disease usually known by cardiovascular disease. About 2600 people die every day of cardiovascular disease. Cancer, the second largest killer, accounts for only half as many deaths(Texas Heart Institute).
Coronary artery disease, the most common form of cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death in America today. Certain factors that play an important role in a person's chances of developing heart disease are called by risk factor. Many risk factors can cause it. They are:
a. Major factors
1. High blood pressure increases risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Though other risk factors can lead to high blood pressure, can have it without having other risk factors.
2. Cholesterol, a fat-like substance carried in blood, is found in all of body’s cells. Liver produces all of the cholesterol body needs to form cell membranes and to make certain hormones. Extra cholesterol enters body when eat foods that come from animals (meats, eggs, and dairy products). Too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") in the blood causes plaque to form on artery walls, which starts a disease process called atherosclerosis. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, are at greater risk of having a heart attack (Encarta, 2006).
3. Diabetes especially in the case of adult-onset or Type II diabetes (also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes). Certain racial and ethnic groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans) have a greater risk of developing diabetes.
4. Obesity increases chances of developing other risk factors for heart disease, especially high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
5. Smoking increases heart rate, tightens major arteries, and can create irregularities in the timing of heartbeats, all of which make heart work harder. Smoking also raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke in people who already have high blood pressure. Although nicotine is the main active agent in cigarette smoke, other chemicals and compounds like tar and carbon monoxide are also harmful to heart in a variety of ways. These chemicals lead to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, possibly by injuring the vessel walls. And they also affect cholesterol and levels of fibrinogen, which is a blood-clotting material. This increases the risk of a blood clot that can lead to a heart attack. (Encarta, 2006).
6. People who are not active have a greater risk of heart attack than do people who exercise regularly. Exercise burns calories, helps to control cholesterol levels and diabetes, and may lower blood pressure.
7. Men have a higher risk of heart attack than women. But the difference narrows after women reach menopause. After the age of 65, the risk of heart disease is about the same between the sexes when other risk factors are similar. (Encarta, 2006).
8. Risk factors (including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity) may also be passed from one generation to another.
9. Older age is a risk factor for heart disease. In fact, about 4 of every 5 deaths due to heart disease occur in people older than 65. (Encarta, 2006).
b. Contributing Risk Factors
1. Stressful situations raise heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the heart's need for oxygen. This need for oxygen can bring on angina pectoris, or chest pain, in people who already have heart disease.
2. Sex hormones appear to play a role in heart disease. Among women younger than 40, heart disease is rare. But between the ages 40 and 65, around the time when most women go through menopause, the chances that a woman will have a heart attack greatly increase. From 65 onward, women make up about half of all heart attack victims. (Encarta, 2006).
3. People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol are lower than in nondrinkers. Experts say that moderate intake is an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women