February is known as American Heart Month. We may think of the heart as symbolizing love and Valentine’s Day, but there is also a heart pumping blood through our bodies.
The leading cause of death in the US is heart disease for both men and women, and this statistic has held true for over 100 years. It is the cause of death for 1 out of 5 people in the country. The chart to the right is from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and it shows rates of the causes of death from 2023. Heart disease can be shown in many different ways, including high blood pressure, stroke, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrest, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmia. In the US, heart disease kills around 695,000 people each year. With so many heart disease related deaths, we would assume that early detection to prevent and treat the disease would be a mandatory standard. A senior at BFHS, Sophia Sullivan, chose the important topic of undiagnosed cardiac disease to write her AP Research paper on.
Sophia wrote the following quote in her research paper:
“Cathy Lewis, obtaining her Bachelor Of Science degree from West Virginia University, contributes her research statistics to American Heart Associates (AHA). Lewis highlights findings from a Harris poll taken in 2023 on behalf of AHA. These results proved that 51% of respondents did not identify heart disease as a leading cause of death in the U.S., implying that over half of the participants were not aware of the commonality and severity of heart disease.”
Relating to the same topic of heart disease going unrecognized, Sophia finds,
“about 40% of myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) go unrecognized (Kannel 199).” A stereotypical heart attack in the media often depicts dramatic symptoms, such as the individual clutching their chest in distress and gasping for breath. However, in reality, just short of half of all heart attacks present with such mild symptoms that the individual will never know they had one without seeking a cardiac examination. In several cases, the diagnosis will return along with the patient’s sudden death. Instead of being informed years prior by a medical professional, the families realize this individual had been suffering from severe heart disease in the form of a death certificate.”
These findings imply that the main reason for the plethora of deaths pertaining to heart disease is the lack of awareness surrounding the issue, which correlates to low testing rates by the people. Without having a mandatory cardiac testing policy for the general public, there will continue to be a spike in undiagnosed heart disease deaths.
How are we able to detect it? We only have a chance of detecting heart disease by having medical professionals perform tests. These tests are not done at our yearly appointments- they are only performed if we have had a heart issue or specifically share a concern. Heart disease will build over time, and therefore receiving a test once will not clear us for life. Anyone could suddenly have a heart attack with no prior warning signs, and this heart attack could kill them, making it too late to get tested.
There are many causes of heart disease, some being unavoidable such as age. Here are ways you can help prevent yourself and others from developing heart disease:
-Manage your stress
-Exercise (30-60 minutes daily)
-Sleep
-Don’t smoke
-Have a heart healthy diet
-Maintain healthy weight
-Take screenings regularly
-Be aware of your family history with heart disease!
Heart disease, although being the leading cause of death, is not recognized enough. You can help by bringing awareness and influencing those with a family history of heart disease to get screened.
