8 Interesting Facts About Heart Diseases

Heart diseases are widely known for being the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) claim a stagggering 17.9 million lives approximately every year. Let’s take a look at more similarly important and interesting facts about heart diseases.

Interesting facts about heart disease

As per WHO, 4 out of every 5 are due to heart attacks and strokes. It is also not shocking to know that one-third of every premature death across the world amongst people below the age of 70 years is also due to heart diseases.

1. Heart diseases are multi-faceted

Heart disease is not restricted to one kind. It has been categorized into several types depending on how each affects the heart.

The broad categories are as follows:

• Coronary heart disease (heart attack)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Cerebrovascular disease (stroke)
• Arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeats)
• Congenital heart disease (defects diagnosed at birth)
• Cardiomyopathy (hardening/weakening of heart muscles)
• Coronary artery disease (plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart); Atherosclerosis (hardening of the artery walls); and 
• Infections (caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites)

Did you know this interesting fact about heart disease and its multiple types?

2. Chewing an aspirin has a soothing effect during a heart attack

Chewing on a 325-milligram aspirin can control the damages of a cardiac arrest. The stress is on the word ‘chewing’ as it is considered to be more effective than gulping it with water or any other fluid.

Remember this tip while you predict an impending heart attack and are waiting for an ambulance to take you to the hospital. Heart attacks usually occur as a result of a blood clot after the plaque breaks off. Aspirin contains chemical properties that dissolve the clots, soothing the pain typical to cardiac attacks.

3. Depression increases the risk of heart diseases

One of the essential facts about heart diseases that you should know is that anxiety and depression speed up the risk of developing medical conditions of the heart, which in turn, further raises the risk of depression.

It is likely to worsen amongst individuals with heart ailments who already suffered from depression or related illnesses previously. It is an unending, vicious chain, wherein one leads to the other and aggravates both the diseases. 

Not just that, the presence of depression increases the risk of cardiac arrest. This is because depression may initiate actions and behavior like alcoholism and drinking. These are more than likely to have an adverse effect on the smooth functioning of the heart.

These effects will be more pronounced when there is a lack of a healthy diet, regular workout, and a balanced lifestyle, which individuals with depression are usually not motivated enough to follow.

4. More women die from heart diseases than men

Another of the many facts about heart diseases that you should definitely know is that both men and women are equally susceptible to falling prey to a heart attack. However, women have recorded more deaths than men due to a heart attack since 1984. The symptoms that women experience due to an impending heart attack are:

• Pain in the upper body like neck, arms, back, and upper stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain and discomfort
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Cold sweats
• Nausea

Apart from the above symptoms, some signs are more pronounced in women than men. These include nausea and vomiting, breathlessness, pain in the jaw, and backache. 

5. Mondays and the cold season see a growth spurt in cardiac arrests

This is one of the interesting facts about heart disease. According to a 2010 study published in the journal Circulation Research, the incidents of heart attacks are more on Mondays as compared to other days of the week. There have also been other studies to support the results of this research. Winters and the fall showed an increased number of cardiac arrests as compared to the rest of the seasons in a year.

Also, individuals with heart diseases are also more likely to have a cardiac arrest in the morning. Individuals with heart conditions are susceptible to suffering from a cardiac arrest during the transition phase of sleep and waking up due to the internal body clock called circadian rhythm.

6. Angina may give the impression of an impending heart attack

Angina or chest pain may make the individual suffering from it consider the condition as a heart attack. However, the pain is not as intense as the one that is associated with a cardiac arrest but quite similar and occurs due to the same reason. Both are the result of vessels, which supply blood to the heart, getting partially or completely blocked due to fat deposits. This deprives the heart of oxygen that is necessary for it to pump blood which is circulated throughout the body.

However, there are certain differences between angina and pain experienced before a heart attack and this fact about heart attack will tell you exactly that.

Angina subsides in about 10 minutes. Also, angina may occur during a workout session and subside while taking rest or on taking certain medications. It is often advised that you visit a doctor whenever you feel any chest pain to eliminate the chances of a cardiac arrest and treat the pain immediately.

That’s not it! We have some more facts about heart diseases coming right up for you.

7. Poor oral hygiene can cause heart diseases

Adding another of the many interesting facts about heart disease to the list with this one. Individuals with questionable oral hygiene are at a greater risk of clogged arteries or atherosclerosis. This is because the bacteria that grow in the teeth and gums due to poor oral hygiene may spread to the bloodstream and affect blood clotting.

Our actions have repercussions. Ignoring a seemingly insignificant task like regular oral care may cause heart diseases that are severe enough to be cured only with a serious surgery like a heart transplant. Post-surgery, you need to lead a restricted lifestyle with a close watch on your diet and an active lifestyle.

You will also have to take immunosuppressive drugs throughout the rest of your life to avoid rejection of the new organ from your body.

8. A significant number of cardiac attacks go unchecked

Not everyone recognizes a heart attack when they suffer from them. In such cases, doctors diagnose the attack later when the patient undergoes a routine ECG.

Individuals with unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking and consumption of excessive alcohol are more exposed to the risk of heart attacks and other serious heart conditions. The use of oral contraceptives also raises the risk of cardiac arrest and stroke.

We tried to put together all the important facts about heart diseases for you in this article. Let us know if we missed any by sharing with us in the comments below.

Learn more about Heart Disease here.