Heart Disease Facts
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2006 were in women.
- In 2006, a total of 631,636 people in the United States died of heart disease.* Of the deaths that year, 26%—or more than one in every four—were caused by heart disease.
- In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds. Each minute, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian Americans, heart disease is second only to cancer.
- In 2010, heart disease will cost the United States $316.4 billion.2 This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.
- Half of people who have a heart attack will die from it before emergency or hospital treatment can be administered.
Risk Factors
Nine out of 10 heart disease patients have at least one risk factor.2 Several medical conditions and lifestyle choices can put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including:- • High cholesterol
- • High blood pressure
- • Diabetes
- • Cigarette smoking
- • Overweight and obesity
- • Poor diet
- • Physical inactivity
- • Alcohol use
Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease
- • Chest pain (heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, painful)
- • Jaw, neck, shoulder, arm, or back pain
- • Shortness of breath
- • Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats, or a "flip-flop" feeling in your chest)
- • A faster heartbeat
- • Weakness or dizziness
- • Nausea
- • Sweating
Diagnosis
- • Heart Disease Diagnosis The first step is getting a doctor's exam. Here's a description of what the doctor will do.
Tests
- • The Basics of EKG Whether you spell it EKG or ECG, it's an electrocardiogram. Learn the basics here.
- • Chest X-Ray Why get a chest X-ray? What happens? Click here for quick answers.
- • Stress Test Does your heart respond well to exertion? That's what a stress test looks for. Here's a straightforward description, including how to prepare for a stress test.
- • Tilt Table Test The head-up tilt table test is used to help find the cause of fainting spells. Here's what you need to know.
- • Echocardiogram There are several variations on the echocardiogram, or "echo," as doctors call it. Learn about these ultrasound-like tests of the heart -- and find out what to expect -- here.
- • Cardiac Catheterization Cardiac catheterization -- also called a coronary angiogram -- means running a catheter into your heart. It's done to help doctors see what's going on in there, and whether they need to operate. Here's where to learn about it.
- • Electrophysiology Test Electrophysiology -- the EP test -- takes measurements of your heart rhythm -- recording the electrical activity and pathways of your heart. Start preparing for it by clicking here.
- • CT Heart Scan Computed tomography (CT scan) of the heart can visualize your heart's anatomy. Calcium-score heart scan and coronary CT angiography are just a few types used to diagnose heart disease.
- • Myocardial Biopsy A myocardial biopsy is when a doctor uses a special catheter to remove a piece of your heart tissue for examination. Click here to learn why it's done.
- • Heart MRI A heart MRI is a great way for doctors to get a look -- from the outside -- at how your heart is working. Read about it here.
- • Pericardiocentesis -- also called a pericardial tap -- means using a needle to get a sample of the fluid in the sac surrounding the heart. Here's what you need to know.
Source: CDC and US Bureau of Statistics
For more information on heart disease, visit the following websites.- • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- • American Heart Association
- • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute