Key takeaways:
- Heart disease is America’s number-one killer for both men and women across ethnic and racial groups in the United States
- Imbalanced gut bacteria can trigger heart disease
- Artificial intelligence is instrumental in the diagnosis of severe heart disease
- RxSpark significantly reduces the costs of managing heart disease
While heart disease is a number-one killer, all hope is not lost. Learn how to beat the odds.
Heart disease is America’s biggest killer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number of deaths caused by heart disease every year is almost 659,000, with one person dying every 36 seconds, making it a leading cause of death in the United States.
Cardiovascular disease is not only a concern for individuals; it also costs the U.S. approximately $363 billion every year in healthcare-related costs and lost productivity.
Is there reason for hope?
The situation might sound dire, but changing political and public attitudes (combined with technological breakthroughs) promises a brighter future for cardiovascular issues. Here’s what you need to know.
What is heart disease?
Heart disease can be any number of varying conditions that affect heart function. The most common form of heart disease in the U.S. is coronary artery disease (CAD), which occurs due to cholesterol buildup and a subsequent narrowing and eventual blockage of the arteries, causing a heart attack.
About 6.7% of the adult population in the U.S. (age 20 and older) has CAD, with two in ten deaths occurring in adults who are less than 65 years old. It is interesting to note that one in five heart attacks are silent, yet cause significant damage.
What causes heart disease?
Key risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, smoking, and high cholesterol – high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol or low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Several other medical conditions and certain lifestyle choices could also increase one’s risk for heart disease. These include:
- Diabetes or metabolic syndrome
- Excess weight/obesity
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use
- Age (55 years for men and post-menopause for women)
- Inactivity
- Family history of coronary heart disease
- Genetics
- High levels of stress
Treatment for heart disease
Treatment for coronary heart disease usually depends on the underlying cause and severity. Heart disease can be managed effectively using a combination of lifestyle changes, medication, and even surgery. Medication for heart disease may include:
- Blood thinners such as aspirin
- Statins that lower cholesterol
- Beta-blockers to treat high blood pressure
- Nitrates to widen blood vessels
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors lower blood pressure and improve blood flow
- Calcium channel blockers relax the muscles that make up the walls of the arteries
- Diuretics flush out excess salt and water through urine, reducing blood pressure
Surgery or other procedures such as stents may be required in severe cases. New research has revealed that balancing the gut microbiome can have a positive impact on heart health.
Imbalanced gut bacteria and its effect on heart disease
Scientific research has established a link between imbalanced gut bacteria and myocardial infarction, angina, and heart failure in patients. A recent study carried out by a European–Israeli team shows that major disturbances exist in the gut microbiome of patients with heart disease. These findings have led scientists to call for increased public health initiatives that will encourage plant-based and energy-controlled diets to delay the onset of this condition.
The human gut has trillions of bacteria, collectively referred to as the gut microbiome. These may have a positive or negative effect on human health. The gut produces a host of compounds that promote good health when they are in balance. An unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise can compromise the gut microbiome and potentially trigger chronic diseases such as heart disease.
Switching to a plant-based or energy-controlled diet and taking healthy, gut-promoting foods and supplements can help correct an imbalanced microbiome. Maintaining a healthy gut could go a long way in reducing the occurrence of heart disease.
But that’s not all. Improving the gut microbiome is just one of a number of ways to increase heart health. Recent studies suggest that artificial intelligence (AI) can reduce deaths related to heart disease.
Use of AI to detect “overlooked” heart disease
The use of AI in cardiology has evolved in a rapid and dramatic way over a relatively short time. Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, is director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Department of Cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Cheng believes these strides in AI can have a tremendous impact on the lives of patients with heart conditions.
Physician–scientists at the institute have created an artificial intelligence tool that can identify and distinguish between two heart conditions that are life-threatening but difficult to tell apart: cardiac amyloidosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Early and accurate diagnosis of these severe heart conditions can be lifesaving.
What more does the future hold for heart health?
The FDA’s new sodium-reduction goals are a boost for heart health
Research has shown that reducing dietary sodium intake and switching to a DASH diet (one that consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, and nuts) can significantly lower blood pressure . Lifelong benefits can be achieved by committing to healthy eating and long-term dietary changes.
On October 13, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new voluntary guidance that encourages the food industry to lower the levels of sodium over the next two years in commercially processed, prepared, and packaged foods. This guidance aims to reduce the daily sodium intake of Americans, which should then reduce the incidence of strokes and heart attacks.
What can you do to reduce your chances of developing heart disease?
- Quit smoking. This is a high-risk factor for heart disease.
- Consume less sodium to lower your risk of hypertension.
- Follow a heart-healthy diet that includes lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Lose weight - lowering your body mass index (BMI) can reduce your risk factors.
- Increase your physical activity.
- Quit drinking or drink only in moderation.
- Manage stress and anger.
Those living with heart disease can also improve their heart health and limit progression of the disease by trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Making heart-healthy dietary and lifestyle changes is the first critical step. This may involve doing regular exercise, even ensuring you do some brisk walking each day can help, working to maintain a healthy weight, or committing to eating more healthy foods.
The importance of taking heart medications as prescribed by your cardiologist cannot be overemphasized. But unfortunately, heart medications can be very expensive.
That’s where RxSpark comes in.
Connect with RxSpark to beat the odds of heart disease
RxSpark helps millions of Americans save an average of $500 annually on prescription costs. Because we’re not insurers our prices may be even lower than your current insurance copay, which could help you save up to 80% at participating pharmacies.
In addition, users get Rewards Points for signing up, filling prescriptions, and when anyone they refer fills prescriptions through the platform. Open your free account with us today to start experiencing the benefits.
or contact us today for more information on how RxSpark can help make chronic conditions less costly. Read our FAQs