Heart DiseaseHeart disease, also called coronary disease, is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. It is still the leading cause of death in the United States, Canada, England and Wales. Perhaps the two best known conditions associated with heart disease are: Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and Atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries due to buildup of cholesterol and fat). If you experience any symptoms of heart disease see your doctor immediately. The risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those adverse factors that put people at greater risk for heart disease and heart attack. First, know the symptoms of heart disease. Second, honestly assess your own risk factors. Third, if you find that you are at risk for heart disease, take immediate steps to reduce your chances of experiencing some type of coronary disease. Lowering your risk of heart disease will require major lifestyle changes especially if you've not practiced healthy lifestyle habits in the past. In general, the high-risk patients who are most successful are the ones who adopt a "change it all now" attitude - the ones who accept that a complete change in lifestyle is needed. They'll stop smoking, adopt an exercise program and change their diet all at once. And they do it by making risk factor modification the central organizing theme of their lives. One day they're a high-risk-lifestyle kind of person, and the next day they're not. They take on all the modifiable risk factors at once - it becomes the chief focus of their lives until the new lifestyle is an ingrained habit (and they are a different person.) Listed below are four of the major risk factors for heart disease. Each category is a link that you can use to find out what you can do to lower your coronary risks. By concentrating on these four areas you can significantly decrease your risk of heart problems.
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