Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and Congress has deemed February “American Heart Month”. The American Heart Association also has a particular focus on Heart Disease in Women in February with it’s Go Red Campaign. So let’s talk about the Stress-Heart Disease Connection.

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the U.S. Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease (CVD) is an underlying cause of death for approximately 36  percent of all  deaths;one of every 2.8 deaths in the United States. Nearly 2,400 Americans die of CVD each day, an average of one death every 36 seconds. CVD claims more lives each year than cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents and diabetes mellitus combined.

Here are the medical problems the American Heart Association includes in it’s definition of cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure, coronary artery disease (abnormal heart blood vessels), heart attacks, angina (chest pain due to coronary artery disease), and heart failure.  You probably know someone in your family with at least one of these disorders. Cardiovascular disease is at epidemic proportions!

Continue reading ‘Go Red! The Stress-Healthy Heart Connection’