Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, and knowing your risk factors can be your first step on your journey towards a healthier heart. Learn more about what could be putting you at a higher risk, and find out how you can get answers about your heart health right from home.
Heart Health by the Numbers
- More than 650,000 people die from heart disease each year – that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
- In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.
- High levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease and stroke.
- Nearly half (48 percent, 121.5 million in 2016) of all adults in the United States have some type of cardiovascular disease.
Source: CDC.gov
What are the symptoms of heart disease?
- Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms
- Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back
- Plaque buildup in your arteries
Often, no symptoms are present, which is why early testing is critical to determine if you’re at risk.
Source: Mayo Clinic
What are my risk factors?
- A family history of heart attack or heart disease in immediate male relatives by age 55, or immediate female relatives by 65
- Smoking and tobacco use
- Excessive alcohol use (women should have no more than 1 drink a day, while men should have no more than 2 drinks a day)
- Obesity
Plaque buildup in your arteries begins in your 20s and 30s – so it’s important to take action and make lifestyle changes now to protect your heart health for years to come.
How can I keep my heart healthy?
- Know your family heart health history and risk factors, and see a doctor for a yearly heart checkup if you have an immediate family member with heart disease.
- Eat high-fiber foods.
- Limit salt, sugar, and saturated fat intake.
- Get 2 and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week.
- Boost your diet with omega-3 fats, fiber, CoQ10, and magnesium supplements.
- Take medicine prescribed by your provider to treat high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
- Test your cholesterol levels, along with other critical biomarkers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, small dense LDL cholesterol, and homocysteine.
Heart disease can present a lot of unknowns – but you can get health answers today. Protect your heart with at-home heart health tests from empowerDX. Skip the waiting room and stop waiting weeks for test results, and get health answers in just days from empowerDX.
