Coronary Artery Disease
Introduction
The Changing Nature of Heart Disease
Table of Contents
The sirens scream and the lights spin as the ambulance weaves its way in and out of traffic, on the way to the hospital with yet another heart attack victim – the third in just 24 hours.
Today, coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), is the most common type of heart disease.
- Over 16.5 million Americans over the age of 20 have this condition. Many are undiagnosed, making their heart a ticking time bomb!
- It is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.
Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a heart attack! But why? A heart attack can result from coronary artery disease that is left untreated.
Although heart disease has been around for a while, its nature has changed. In the early 1900s, factors such as congenital heart muscle or valve damage, inflammation from bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral diseases, and syphilis and rheumatic fever contributed to most cases of heart disease.
According to statistics, heart disease was rare in 1900 — accounting for about nine percent of all deaths in the United States
Fast forward to 1950, and CHD (including stroke) became the leading cause of mortality in the United States — accounting for 48 percent of all deaths. A once-rare condition took center stage, killing millions each year.
So what has changed? How is heart disease today different from what it was in the 1900s?
Most cases of heart disease today come from a massive blood clot that leads to obstruction of the coronary artery, which kills the heart muscle.
You can have the WORST CAD in the world, and if you don't have symptoms, and a plaque does not rupture leading to a heart attack, you could live forever.
In 1910, myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack was almost nonexistent, causing about 3,000 deaths per year in America.
Dr. Paul Dudley White introduced the electrocardiograph machine to America. Although he started his cardiology career in 1921, he did not see a patient die from a heart attack until 1928.
By 1960, half a million people died of a heart attack per year in the United States. Stroke rates also increased with a similar cause — a blockage in the large arteries that supply blood to the brain.
If you are reading this page, it is likely that you have been diagnosed with heart disease, had a heart attack or stroke, or know someone who has. We are glad you are here and want to instill hope and provide support.
If you are confused about heart disease, have questions, or just need more information, you are in the right place.
You already know the bad news — heart disease is indeed a killer — what about some good news?
Heart disease is one of the top PREVENTABLE causes of death in America.
Do you know what this means for you and millions of others? It means that you have control; you can make choices to prevent and remedy heart disease and live a long and healthy life!
Now, this is not just good news; it is AMAZING news. Just like you made choices today about what to eat, what to wear, and what to say, you can also choose to be the best version of yourself. This should leave you dancing with joy.
You CAN achieve your 100 Year Heart.
Heart disease is a choice you don’t have to make — choose health, choose life instead. At Natural Heart Doctor, we are in the business of helping people live better, longer lives.
Before we proceed, let’s bust ten of the top heart health myths!
Top 10 Heart Health Myths Busted
Myth #1
Fact
Only older people get heart disease.
It’s true most cardiovascular diseases are diagnosed in people above age 45. It is also true that the damage to the heart starts at a much younger age. Diet and lifestyle choices cause heart disease.
Harvard Medical School estimates that 10 percent of all heart attacks occur in people under age 45, and I predict that number will only rise. How do I know that? Because obesity is on the rise among young people. They are more sedentary than previous generations. More have diabetes than ever before. All heart disease risk factors, except smoking, are rising in young people. That will most certainly lead to more heart disease. Heart disease can happen to anyone at any age
Myth #2
Fact
Avoid saturated fat for a healthy heart.
Our ancestors ate saturated fats for centuries without heart disease. Nature intended for you to have saturated fats — breast milk is full of saturated fat. Studies also show that the saturated fat from breast milk is vital to academic success.
Studies cited by the British Journal of Sports Medicine show no link between saturated fat and heart disease.
Many peer-reviewed studies confirm that saturated fat has no causal relationship to heart disease. Take the time to research. That’s how you find the truth!
So, if science supports that saturated fats don’t cause heart disease, then why is this still a myth? Simply because there is too much money involved in keeping you sick. Big Pharma gets to sell pills when people are sick. Hospitals get patients. Companies get to sell insurance. Food producers lower production costs and improve profit margins, as vegetable oils cost less than good oils like olive and coconut oil.