Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease occurs when arteries traveling to the heart become clogged, most often due to cholesterol. If the artery is completely blocked, the part connected to that artery will die and scar over, causing a heart attack.
It is estimated that half of men and one-third of women aged 40 and under will develop heart disease at some point in their life. That is why eliminating behaviors that cause heart disease and responding to symptoms immediately is so important.
The three most important risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. Each one doubles your chance of having a heart attack. Age gender and heredity are also contributing factors, but, unfortunately, these cannot be changed.
Increasing exercise , managing stress levels and eating foods that are low in LDL "bad" cholesterol will decrease your chances of having a heart attack. If you quit smoking, your risk is cut in half a year later.
Moderate alcohol intake may also lower your risk by raising levels of HDL "good" cholesterol in your blood. Post-menopausal women may want to consider hormone replacement therapy as a preventative measure. The increase in estrogen has been found to lower incidences of heart disease.
If you suffer from pain in the chest, arms, neck or back for at least 20 minutes after any physical activity, and you have it consistently in the same area, seek medical assistance immediately. Women with heart disease may also experience vomiting or nausea instead of chest pain.
