Heart Disease: Causes and Prevention
World Heart Day is September 29th, but it’s important to care for your heart each and every day. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death across the United States, but luckily, there’s plenty you can do to lower your chances of developing this deadly disease and to protect your heart, starting with understanding the causes and prevention of heart disease:
Heart Disease Causes
Plaque, made of cholesterol, fatty molecules, and minerals, is a waxy substance that accumulates gradually over time due to poor health. Individuals develop heart disease when plaque builds up in the arteries and blood vessels leading to the heart. When this occurs, vital nutrients and oxygen are blocked from reaching your heart.
Heart disease can lead to:
- Heart attack – This means that blood flow to the heart is blocked.
- Stroke – A stroke occurs when blood flow to your brain is blocked or reduced.
- Heart failure – With heart failure, the heart is still working, but blood isn’t pumping as well as it needs to be.
- Arrhythmia – With this condition, the heart is beating too slow, too fast, or irregularly, affecting how well the heart is functioning.
- Heart valve problems – This leads to the heart valves not opening enough for proper blood flow.
Heart Disease Prevention
Many factors can put you at a higher risk for developing heart disease, some that you can control and others you can’t, unfortunately. Some risk factors that you can’t control include your age, sex, race or ethnicity, and family history.
If you’re looking to lower your risk of heart disease, these are the factors you can control:
- Control your blood pressure
- Keep your cholesterol levels under control
- Get regular exercise
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Don’t smoke
- Learn to manage your stress
- Get enough sleep
- Manage diabetes
Orthopaedist in Fairfield County, Connecticut
It’s crucial to seek expert medical treatment if you are dealing with problems or pain associated with your bones or joints. Give the professionals at Orthopaedic Specialty group a call at (203) 337-2600, and let us know how we can help you! Don’t let that pain hold you back from living your life. Your health and safety are our top priority.