Cardiovascular disease is top killer in US

Cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and stroke, are responsible for one third of the deaths in the United States. Heart disease and stroke together also appear to be the main cause of death worldwide. It is important to collect data about the main causes of death, in order to achieve better prevention and treatment for these diseases. Though death rates are decreasing, mortality is still way too high. Cardiovascular disease is not only important for its prevalence and financial burden, but also because it is the main preventable cause of disability in the US.

shutterstock_114408190Figures show that 750,000 Americans had a heart attack in 2013. 116,000 of these people died as a consequence.

The American Heart Association created a list containing seven factors that play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease: smoking, exercise, diet, body weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.

Lifestyle changes have been promoted over the last years in order to decrease cardiovascular disease. Some progress has been made, but it still is not enough. It is important to create more awareness among people, since most damage is irreversible and could be disabling.

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