Heart Disease Hits Hard

As I was perusing the NY Times web site today I came across an article discussing heart failure in Blacks. The statistics blew me away.

A group of researchers performed a study on heart failure using 5,115 young adults as their focus group. The group consisted of a fairly even split of Whites and Blacks. The researchers studied these individuals over the course of 20 years. During the study 27 participants were inflicted with heart failure. Of the 27, five died during the course of the study.

26 of the 27 participants who were inflicted with heart failure were Black.

The study indicates that Blacks are 20 times more likely than Whites to have health problems related to heart failure. It also shows that heart failure affects Blacks at a younger age than it does Whites, as Blacks in their 30s and 40s who participated in the study experienced heart failure at the same rate as Whites in their 50s and 60s.

For the complete NY Times article click here.

Below I've provided a lists of causes, myths and preventative measures related to heart failure and heart disease. Let's stay healthy.

Sincerely,

TSH

5 Causes of Heart Failure

1. Coronary artery disease: when the blood supply to the heart is partially or completely blocked
2. High blood pressure (hypertension)
3. Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
4. The use of toxic substances (such as alcohol or drug abuse)
5. Diabetes

5 Myths About Heart Disease

1. If your parents had heart disease, you’ll get it too - Heart disease does run in families. But heredity is not destiny.
2. Heart disease begins in adulthood - Teenagers can already have streaks of fat in their major arteries. Childhood obesity and diabetes are the first acts in what can be a lifelong cardiac drama.
3. Women get breast cancer, not heart disease - Heart disease kills far more women than breast cancer.
4. Cigarettes and cigars are bad for the lungs, not the heart - Smoking is a disaster for the entire body. Especially the cardiovascular system.
5. If your weight is normal and your cholesterol is normal, you’re safe - Thin people with low cholesterol die of heart attacks every day.

6 Ways to Prevent Heart Failure

1. Do not smoke.
2. Lower your cholesterol.
3. Control your blood pressure.
4. Get regular exercise.
5. Control diabetes.
6. Limit alcohol intake.