Understanding Heart Disease

Understanding Heart Disease

            We all know that heart disease is the number one killer for men, while it is becoming quite common for women to suffer just as much. Men are also suffering from more and more strokes, making it the number three killer among men, with woman following closely behind them.

            If anyone in your immediate family has ever suffered an heart attack or stroke that puts you at risk, if you presently have high blood pressure or high cholesterol numbers, then you are definitely at risk; and need to make some serious changes.

Understanding heart disease is just one way to help us prevent it from affecting our life, along with making the necessary changes so we won’t be affected. It is never too late to make the necessary changes to improve your heart health, while preventing you from doing any more damage to your heart. The first thing you need to do is to find out what your cholesterol numbers are, check your weight and really think about the types of foods in your present diet.

Now lets understand heart disease, consider what our arteries do for us, they pump the much need blood to our heart; as well as circulation the blood through our body, sending forth much need oxygen to our vital organs. If we have high blood pressure, the damage over time can causing plaque to build up, which narrows the passageway through different areas. As our arteries narrow, the chances for a blockage, either from plaque, or a blood clot increases which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. 

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Plaque that starts to line and stick to our arteries consist of cholesterol, and fat, which over time causes damage. If left untreated it narrow the arteries, which in the medical field is called atherosclerosis, over time the plaque continues to stick to the already existing plaque. Many call this condition “hardening of the arteries” because as the plaque forms, it hardens inside the artery. Over time it may soon snap, allowing platelets to attach itself in the crack, which over time builds up to form a clot.

Now is the time to think about your heart health and then do something about it, eliminate excess fats and sugars for starters, and try walking. If you decide to completely change your diet and start exercising talk to your health care provider first, besides he or she may be able to offer you some interesting idea along with a list of foods to avoid.