Heart Health
What Is Heart Disease?
The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease (CAD), which affects the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack.
Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest Symptoms
Warning Signs of Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest
If these warning signs are present CALL 911
Heart Attack Symptoms
CHEST DISCOMFORT
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
DISCOMFORT IN OTHER AREAS OF THE UPPER BODY
Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
with or without chest discomfort.
OTHER SIGNS
may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
Stroke Symptoms
Spot a stroke F.A.S.T.
FACE DROOPING
Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
ARM WEAKNESS
Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
SPEECH DIFFICULTY
Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
TIME TO CALL 911
If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Cardiac Arrest Symptoms
SUDDEN LOSS OF RESPONSIVENESS
No response to tapping on shoulders.
NO NORMAL BREATHING
The victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds.
The Facts About High Blood Pressure
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure (also referred to as HBP, or hypertension) is when your blood pressure, the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels, is consistently too high. Learn more about high blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, you are not alone
- Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. (Many don’t even know they have it.)
- The best way to know if you have high blood pressure it is to have your blood pressure checked.
Know your numbers
Learn about your blood pressure numbers and what they mean.
| BLOOD PRESSURE CATEGORY | SYSTOLIC mm Hg (upper number) | and/or | DIASTOLIC mm Hg (lower number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORMAL | LESS THAN 120 | and | LESS THAN 80 |
| ELEVATED | 120 – 129 | and | LESS THAN 80 |
| HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (HYPERTENSION) STAGE 1 | 130 – 139 | or | 80 – 89 |
| HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (HYPERTENSION) STAGE 2 | 140 OR HIGHER | or | 90 OR HIGHER |
| HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS (consult your doctor immediately) | HIGHER THAN 180 | and/or | HIGHER THAN 120 |
High blood pressure or hypertension is a “silent killer”
- Most of the time there are no obvious symptoms.
- Certain physical traits and lifestyle choices can put you at a greater risk for high blood pressure.
- When left untreated, the damage that high blood pressure does to your circulatory system is a significant contributing factor to heart attack, stroke and other health threats.
Preventing and managing HBP
- This is one time that the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is particularly apt. It’s best to avoid high blood pressure altogether. Healthy lifestyle choices are a great place to start.
- With proper treatment and management, you can control your blood pressure to help you live a long and healthy life.
How does heart disease affect men?
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, killing 382,776 men in 2020—that’s about 1 in every 4 male deaths.1
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian American or Pacific Islander men, heart disease is second only to cancer.2
- About 1 in 13 (7.7%) white men and 1 in 14 (7.1%) black men have coronary heart disease. About 1 in 17 (5.9%) Hispanic men have coronary heart disease.3
- Half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.4 Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.
How does heart disease affect women?
Despite increases in awareness over the past decades, only about half (56%) of women recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer.1
Learn more facts about women and heart disease:
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 314,186 women in 2020—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths.2
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for African American and white women in the United States. Among American Indian and Alaska Native women, heart disease and cancer cause roughly the same number of deaths each year. For Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander women, heart disease is second only to cancer as a cause of death.3
- About 1 in 16 women age 20 and older (6.2%) have coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease:4
- About 1 in 16 white women (6.1%), black women (6.5%), and Hispanic women (6%)
- About 1 in 30 Asian women (3.2%)