Aggressive Action Could Save You from the Number One Killer in America
February is American Heart Month. Therefore, Americans should be aware that cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in this country. Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of over 1 million people each year, which is one death every 35 seconds and more than 70 million Americans live with this disease. Why are so many Americans still dying from cardiovascular disease despite all the scientific and medical breakthroughs in the field?
In Oklahoma
- In 2014, heart disease was the leading cause of death in Oklahoma, accounting for 1 in 4 deaths.
- Almost 10,000 Oklahomans died from heart disease in 2014
- From 2000 to 2012, heart disease death rates decreased among Oklahomans in the 55-64, 65-74, and 75 years and older age groups, but increased slightly or remained approximately the same in the 35-54 year age group and the 35 and younger age group.
- The heart disease death rate was 50% higher among Oklahoma males than females in 2012.
- In 2012, heart disease death rates were highest among non-Hispanic Blacks and American Indians. These rates were nearly twice as high as the rate among Hispanics.
- In 2010-2012 combined, the percent of premature deaths from heart disease (those occurring in individuals under the age of 75) was 38.4% for non-Hispanic Whites, 58.2% for non-Hispanic Blacks, 55.5% for non-Hispanic American Indians, and 58.8% for Hispanics.
- High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, poor diet, and diabetes are the leading causes of cardiovascular disease.
*Only about half of the people with high blood pressure have their condition under control.
Heart Disease in the United States
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.1
- One person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.1
- About 700,000 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2020—that’s 1 in every 5 deaths.1,2
- Heart disease cost the United States about $229 billion each year from 2017 to 2018.3 This includes the cost of health care services, medicines, and lost productivity due to death.
Coronary Artery Disease
- Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing 382,820 people in 2020.2
- About 20.1 million adults aged 20 and older have CAD (about 7.2%).2
- In 2020, about 2 in 10 deaths from CAD happen in adults less than 65 years old.2
Early Action Is Important for Heart Attack
Know the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
Heart Attack
- In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.2
- Every year, about 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack.2 Of these,
- 605,000 are a first heart attack 2
- 200,000 happen to people who have already had a heart attack2
- About 1 in 5 heart attacks are silent—the damage is done, but the person is not aware of it.
~Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the world and the leading cause of death in the United States, killing over 700,000 Americans a year.
“People do not take this problem seriously enough to perform the actions necessary to prevent this disease,” says E.Pluribus Massey, work-life educator and provider.
Aggressive action is Massey’s solution to preventing cardiovascular disease. People usually associate the word aggressive with responses to life threatening, dangerous, or difficult situations. But Massey says aggressive action helps reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. For example athletes and coaches use this term when describing their efforts to overcome a challenging opponent or game.
“Most people would act aggressively to save their own lives if they were to be attacked by a person trying to do them harm,” said Massey. “They need to learn to apply this mindset to their health, and act aggressively to prevent cardiovascular disease.” Massey suggests that more people need to adopt this same aggressive stance when facing.
Four Ways to Stop Cardiovascular Disease
What aggressive measures can you take to prevent this disease? According to Massey, there are four things you can do, first place to start, is by taking your doctors advice, and then live a healthier life by getting on a complete fitness and nutrition program.
- Engage in regular low intensity workouts, such as walking, swimming, or biking, for 20-30 minutes a day, five days a week.
- Lower your emotional stress level, which also takes it toll on your body; stress makes it easier for bad diseases to attack your body.
- Improve your eating habits; cut down on foods that are high in fat and eat more vegetables and fruits. Eat lean meats like baked fish and chicken, and cut down on your red meat intake. If you are overweight, get on a strict regimen to help you lose that unnecessary weight now.
- Drink only minimal amounts of alcohol – it can be high in calories.
Just as world athletes use aggressive action to overcome difficult situations, so must you be aggressive in maintaining your health, this means taking action, doing whatever it takes, and pulling out all stops. Understand that cardiovascular disease is a dangerous and indiscriminate killer. Says Massey “Aggressive action is the best way to prevent and treat the deadliest killer in America cardiovascular disease”
