Heart disease is a broad term that can refer to any condition that affects the heart; however, it usually refers to coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is a chronic disease in which the coronary arteries gradually harden and narrow (a process known as atherosclerosis).
While many people with heart disease have symptoms such as chest pain and fatigue, as many as 50 percent have no symptoms until a heart attack occurs.
CAD is the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the United States and the leading cause of heart attacks.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of American women, causing almost 500,000 deaths every year.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), CAD is the leading killer of American men and women, responsible for more than one of every five deaths in 2001.
About 84 percent of people who die as a result of CAD are 65 or older.
Many statistics show CAD as the leading cause of premature and permanent disability among American workers.
Treatments for CAD vary according to the severity of the disease, the location of any blockages in the blood vessels and overall health. Options include lifestyle changes, medication and surgery.
Coronary artery disease tends to develop gradually, and effective strategies exist to help prevent or control it. Changes in lifestyle and health habits can reduce the speed at which heart-related problems develop.
Some of the specific strategies used to prevent or control heart disease include dieting, improving cholesterol, controlling homocysteine levels, exercising regularly, controlling high blood pressure and quitting smoking.
Scientists have identified more than 250 genes that may play a role in the development of CAD.
Beyond age 45, a greater percentage of women than men have high cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is one of the major causes of heart disease.
According to the AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics ‑- 2005 Update, more than 56 million American women have borderline to high cholesterol levels.
Approximately 6.8 million Americans, about 4.2 million of whom are women, get diagnosed with angina every year, according to the AHA.
