How many people cardiovascular disease

What is heart disease? How common is heart disease? Worldwide heart disease statistics Heart disease statistics in the U. The heart is an icon, one that adorns greeting cards, appears in jewelry shop windows, or adds a special touch to an affectionate text message.

It symbolizes love, passion, and commitment. Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease CVD , is an umbrella term that encompasses several different conditions that affect the heart. These include heart muscle disease cardiomyopathy , irregular heartbeats arrhythmia , and blood vessel issues like peripheral or coronary artery disease. Nearly half of Americans have some type of heart disease. Plaque buildup, blood clots, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity can all contribute to heart disease.

Many of these conditions are preventable by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet. Each heart condition has different symptoms, but common warning signs include chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, numb or cold extremities, fatigue, and lightheadedness.

A healthcare provider may ask about these conditions as part of a complete physical exam to help diagnose heart disease. When it comes to heart attacks, these states have the highest percentage of occurrences among their populations:.

What causes heart disease in the first place? News Releases. Cardiovascular diseases. Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. Latest news. Fonarow urged people with high blood pressure to treat it with lifestyle changes and, if needed, with blood pressure-lowering medication. The key question is whether clinicians and patients will actually act on it," he said. View text version of infographic. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor heart.

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