Heart Disease Facts and Risk Factors

Facts about Heart Disease

• Heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death in the United States.
• One life is lost to heart disease every 30 seconds.
• 300,000 people suffer heart attacks every year without warning or symptoms.
• 45 percent of all heart attacks -- one third of which are fatal -- occur to people between the ages of 45 and 65.
• 44 percent of women who have heart attacks die within a year.
• 30 percent of heart disease patients have no obvious risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart attacks.

Risk Factors for Heart Attacks

• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Overweight by 20 percent or more
• Physical inactivity
• High cholesterol
• High levels of stress leading to anger and depression
• Family history of heart attacks
• High homocysteine levels