That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where research claims that the most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack.
Awareness is key when it comes to preventing a heart attack, and since 1963 people have observed February as “American Heart Month.”
During American Heart Month, thousands of American Heart Association volunteers visit their neighbors with a goal to raise funds for research, education and to pass along information about heart disease and stroke.
According to the CDC, the chance of developing coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put individuals at greater risk. Also, knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack are critical to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack, and this can help people who have survived a heart attack reduce their risk of another heart attack or stroke in the future.
The CDC describes most heart attacks as beginning slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Possible signs of a heart attack include chest discomfort; shortness of breath, which may occur with or without chest discomfort; and discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Other signs of a heart attack could include nausea, breaking out in a cold sweat or lightheadedness.
To help prevent heart disease, the CDC recommends adopting a healthy lifestyle with proper diet, nutrition, exercise and fitness. The American Heart Association suggests eating lean meats and poultry without skin; selecting fat-free and low-fat dairy products; cutting back on foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, those high in dietary cholesterol and beverages and foods with added sugars; preparing foods with little or no salt; drinking alcohol in moderation; and regulating food portion sizes.
For more information on heart disease, visit www.americanheart.org.
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