 |
|
|
 |
Facts About Mitral-Valve Prolapse
About 2 percent of the adult population has mitral-valve prolapse (MVP), a heart condition that can
sometimes be detected by a stethoscope as a click or murmur. MVP is frequently diagnosed in healthy people and is usually
harmless. This 2-page fact sheet provides an overview of MVP, including what causes it, tests that can confirm the diagnosis,
treatment for cases where this is needed, and how complications can be prevented. An illustration is included contrasting normal
and prolapsed mitral valves. more
|
|
Healthy Heart Handbook for Women
Every woman should be concerned about heart disease, the leading cause of death for American
women. This easy-to-use, easy-to-read handbook explains factors that place women at risk of heart disease and recommends
steps they can take to protect their heart health. It also has special information for women with heart disease, including warning
signs of a heart attack and how to prepare a heart attack survival plan. Other topics covered include hormone replacement
therapy, cholesterol, healthy eating, physical activity, how to talk with your doctor, vitamin supplements, and, by popular
request, heart-smart recipes. more
|
|
|
|
Congestive Heart Failure Data Fact Sheet
An estimated 4.8 million Americans have congestive heart failure (CHF). Increasing prevalence,
hospitalizations, and deaths have made CHF a major chronic condition in the United States. It often is the end stage of cardiac
disease. Half of the patients diagnosed with CHF will be dead within 5 years. Each year, there are an estimated 400,000 new
cases. The annual number of deaths directly from CHF increased from 10,000 in 1968 to 42,000 in 1993, with another
219,000 related to the condition. more
|
|
Facts About Heart Disease and Women: Kicking The Smoking Habit
Coronary heart disease is a woman's concern. Every woman's concern. One in ten American women
45 to 64 years of age has some form of heart disease, and this increases to one in five women over 65. Another 1.6 million
women have had a stroke. Both heart disease and stroke are known as cardiovascular diseases, which are serious disorders of
the heart and blood vessel system. Cigarette smoking is a habit that greatly increases your chances of developing cardiovascular
diseases. Surprising as it may seem, smoking by women in this country causes almost as many deaths from heart disease as from
lung cancer. A woman who smokes is two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than a nonsmoking woman, and the
risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked each day. more
|
|
Facts About Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. The heart loses its ability to pump blood and, in
some instances, heart rhythm is disturbed, leading to irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias. Usually, the exact cause of the muscle
damage is never found. Cardiomyopathy differs from many other heart disorders in a couple of ways. First, it is fairly
uncommon, affecting about 50,000 Americans. However, the condition is a leading reason for heart transplantation. Second,
unlike many other forms of heart disease that affect middle-age and older persons, cardiomyopathy can, and often does, occur
in the young. The condition tends to be progressive and sometimes worsens fairly quickly. more
|
|
|
