The Top 15 Signs of Heart Disease Everyone Needs to Know
by www.SixWise.com
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men
and women in the United States, resulting in 29 percent of
all U.S. deaths in 2002, according to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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More than half (51 percent) of the people who died
of heart disease in 2002 were women.
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Meanwhile, more than one-third (37 percent) of adults reportedly
have two or more of the six risk factors for heart disease
and stroke, which include:
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High blood pressure
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High cholesterol
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Diabetes
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Smoking
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Physical inactivity
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Obesity
In all, heart disease is thought to cost over $403 billion
in 2006 for health care services, medications and lost productivity,
according to the CDC.
What Exactly is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is actually a general term used to describe
various heart problems. The most common type of heart disease
in the United States is coronary artery disease (CAD), which
occurs when your heart's arteries buildup plaque and become
hardened and narrowed. This reduces blood flow to the heart
and can result in a heart attack.
Other common heart conditions include angina, heart failure,
arrhythmia, peripheral artery disease and more.
Signs of Heart Disease
Conventional risk factors such as those listed above are
well-known signs that you may be at risk of heart disease.
However, there are many other, lesser known, symptoms that
can also signal heart disease risk.
In fact, studies have found that up to 97 percent of women
with acute heart disease experienced prodromal (pre-heart-attack)
symptoms more than one month (and sometimes as much as two
years) before the attack.
These include:
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Changes in mood, including irritability, depression,
anxiety and insomnia, according to researchers from the
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy.
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Elevated levels of inflammation-related
substances in your body, including C-reactive
protein, fibrinogen, and homocysteine.
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Unusual fatigue and/or insomnia
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Shortness of breath
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Excessive fatigue can sometimes indicate the presence
of heart disease in women.
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Indigestion
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Frequent headaches
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Racing heart
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Vision changes
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Changes in appetite
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Aching arms
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Chest pain
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Pressure in the chest, stomach, arms, back, neck
or jaw
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Cold sweats
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Nausea
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Lightheadedness
What Tests Can Reveal Your Heart Disease Risk?
There is much controversy over whether people with few risk
factors need to have extensive testing for heart disease.
However, most experts agree that you should find out the following
three numbers, and make sure they are within the healthy levels
that your health care provider recommends:
Beyond these, another test sometimes encouraged is the C-Reactive
Protein (CRP) test. Here is what the results tell you:
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A CRP level lower than 1.0 mg/L indicates a low risk
of developing heart disease
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A CRP level between 1.0 and 3.0 mg/L indicates an average
risk
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A CRP higher than 3.0 mg/L indicates a high risk
There are numerous other tests out there as well, such as
heart scans, stress tests, and electrocardiograms (EKGs),
but only you and your health care provider can determine whether
they are necessary.
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Sources
Medical
News Today
University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
American
Heart Association