Men’s Health Facts Part #2: Heart Disease

Introduction
Cardiovascular disease, more commonly referred to as heart disease, refers to several types of heart conditions. It includes diseased vessels, structural problems, and blood clots. Heart disease is officially recognized as the leading cause of death in the United States of America. Seeing how prevelant it is amonst Americans, I ind it important to find all of the studies on how it affects the male population.

Common Types
Here are a list of common types of heart disease.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)-damage or disease in the heart’s major blood vessels.

High Blood Pressure (hypertension)-a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high.

Cardiac Arrest-sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness.

Congestive Heart Failure-a chronic condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should.

Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)– a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat

Peripheral Artery Disease (peripheral vascular disease)-a circulatory condition in which narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to the arms and legs.

Stroke (brain attack)-damage to the brain from interruption of its blood supply.

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)-an abnormality in the heart that develops before birth.

Prevalance By Age
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that heart disese is the leading cause of male death. However, it’s interesting to note that the study heavily varies by age. It’s way more common to affect of old men than young men.
(Note: these studies were traced in 2016)

>24.2% of male deaths (of all ages) came from heart disease.

Elders
>30.3% of deaths for males 85 years or older came from heart disease (the highest cause of death for that age demographic)

>24.8% of deaths for males 65-84 years old came from heart disease (the 2nd highest cause of death for that age demographic).

Youth
>9.4% of deaths for males 20-44 years old came from heart disease (the 4th highest cause of death for that age demographic).

>2.6% of deaths for males 1-19 years old came from heart disease (the 6th highest cause of death for that age demographic).

Prevalence By Race/Ethnicity
The CDC in another study has showed that is prevalent to all races of men.
(Note: These studies were traced in 2020)

>22.7% of White men’s deaths were caused by heart disease

>21% of Black men’s deaths were caused by heart disease

>20% of Asian men’s deaths were caused by heart disease

>15.8% of Hispanic men’s deaths were caused by heart disease

>15.5% of American Indian’s deaths were caused by heart disease

Causes & Treatment
Seeing how fatal and life changing the disease can be, the average man should be eager to find ways to protect themselves. Currently, there is no known cure for heart disease. There are only ways to reduce the impacts the condition has on your body. But there are ways to lower the risk for heart disease.
In yet another study, the CDC has listed several key things you can do to lower the risk of heart disease. Just to be clear, this list is more of a recommendation, not a requirement. You don’t have to follow all of these things to perfection. But developing a pattern of these reccomendations can help with your physical health and greatly reduce the risk of the cardiovascular disease.

>Choosing a more healthy diet is a major way to help prevent heart disease and its complications.
-plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
-fewer processed foods
-foods that are high in fiber, while low in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol
-limiting salt (sodium) in your diet
-limiting sugar

>Limiting the amount of tobacco and alcoholic beverages you consume also lowers the risk.
-men should drink no more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day, as alcohol can raise your blood pressure.
-It’s recommended to either quit smoking or never start smoking, as cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for heart disease

>Apparently, obesity is also a large factor. Carrying extra weight can put extra stress on the heart and blood vessels.
-you can calculate your Body Mass Index to make sure that your weight is in healthy range
-its recommended that you spend at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week doing moderate-intense excercise

Source (s)
National Vital Statistics Reports
CDC-Leading Causes Of Death
CDC-Race Factors
CDC-Prevention