When you think of heart disease, usually people think of coronary artery disease (narrowing of the arteries leading to the heart), but coronary artery disease is just one type of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United states for both men and women. It is important to learn about your heart to help prevent heart disease. If you have a cardiovascular disease, you can live a healthier, more active life by learning about your disease and treatments by becoming an active participant in your care.
Some heart disease symptoms include:
- Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm or below the breast bone
- Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat or arm
- Fullness, indigestion or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)
- Sweating, nausea, vomiting or dizziness
- Extreme weakness, anxiety or shorness of breath
- Rapid or irregular heartbeats
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations(irregulart heartbeats, skipped beats or a ‘flip-flop’ feeling in your chest)
- A faster heartbeat
RISK FACTORS
- Male sex
- Older age
- Family history of heart disease
- Post-menopausal
- Race (African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans are more likely to have heart disease than Caucasians)
Links
American Heart Association – For more information about heart disease click on this link to learn more about the leading cause of death in the United States.
Start With Your Heart – This is a great tool to use if you want to learn how to protect yourself against heart attack and stroke.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute – For more information about heart disease visit this site.
WebMD – This site offers good information about heart attacks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) – The CDC is a great place to find reliable information regarding heart disease.