Heart disease does not represent one entity. The term actually refers to a variety of diseases that adversely affect the heart. These diseases affect different parts of the heart and have distinct causes.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. In fact, it accounts for one in every four deaths. Furthermore, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds in the United States and more than one person dies from a heart disease-related incident every minute. Lastly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates heart disease costs the health care system almost $200 billion per year. This includes costs for health care services, medications, and lost productivity.
Heart disease is an umbrella term that includes several different diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels to the heart. These include abnormalities in your heart’s structure which you are born with, diseases of the blood vessels to and from the heart, abnormal heart rate, and heart attacks.
If you think you or someone you know is suffering from heart disease, here are some common questions you might have.
Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications, which are commonly known as blood thinners, can help to mitigate the risk of blood clots by preventing blood platelets from clumping together and slowing the body’s process of clot formation. It is important for people to understand the two different types of blood thinners, so they can choose the right type for them.
Your doctor will want to do a number of tests before confirming your diagnosis. Some common symptoms of MS include vision problems, muscle weakness, involuntary spasms, fatigue, dizziness, and bladder dysfunction. Many of the diseases that MS is often confused with can be ruled out with a simple blood test, while others require biopsies or an MRI.
Sleep is something that we often take for granted. For some people, going to sleep is just a matter of lying down and closing their eyes, but for others, it takes a lot more work and effort. Then there are those who suffer from sleep disorders and whose life revolves around trying to get to sleep.