If you were asked to draw a picture of what someone struggling with heart issues would look like, chances are certain characteristics come to mind first: overweight, elderly, smoker, unhealthy. While you may pigeonhole the type of person struck with these issues, your heart does not. Anyone and everyone can fall victim to heart problems. The numbers surrounding this are incredibly incriminating:
- Someone suffers from a heart attack every 43 seconds in the United States alone.
- There are currently over 40 million women living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
- More than 730,000 Americans suffer from heart attacks each year.
These statistics, while frightening, paint a picture of how serious heart health issues are in the U.S. Luckily, there are a legion of heart centers across the country who are prepared to diagnose and treat heart problems.
If you have suffered a heart attack, you know how scary and painful it can be. While technology is increasing your chances of surviving a heart attack, it’s very important to preemptively make healthy lifestyle choices. It’s common knowledge that certain habits will put you at higher risk for developing cardiovascular issues. These include having a poor diet, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
By actively making healthy lifestyle decisions, you can reduce your chances of suffering from cardiovascular conditions. A balanced diet, daily exercise and stress management are all contributing factors.
While taking care of your overall health will be a great advantage in the fight against heart problems, it may not always be enough. Things like family history and undiagnosed heart issues can contribute to heart disease and heart attacks in otherwise healthy patients. If you find yourself struggling with your heart health, find solace in the fact that there is a team of cardiovascular doctors available at your local heart center who will do their best to provide quality healthcare during a difficult time.
When it comes to top-notch cardiac care, don’t put your heart (and health) at risk.