Cardiovascular disease - Rejuvenate Hormone Therapy

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to conditions that affecting the heart and blood vessels. It is an umbrella term that encompasses diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, congenital heart defects, and more. CVD is the leading cause of death globally. In the United States alone, 1 in 4 deaths is caused by heart disease. Understanding what puts us at risk and how to prevent CVD could save millions of lives.

What causes cardiovascular disease?

There are a variety of risk factors that contribute to CVD:

• Atherosclerosis - This is the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. It often develops due to high cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, obesity, and diabetes.
• Genetics - A family history of early CVD raises your risk. Genetic factors can impact things like cholesterol levels or blood pressure.
• Lifestyle habits - As mentioned above, smoking, poor diet, inactivity, and being overweight are all risk factors. Most CVD is preventable through lifestyle changes.
• Diabetes - Uncontrolled blood sugar damages blood vessels and strains the heart.

Having more risk factors compounds your risk - for example, someone with diabetes AND high blood pressure AND who smokes is at much greater danger than someone with just one risk factor.

How is CVD diagnosed?

• Physical exam - Listening to the heart and checking pulse points can reveal problems.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) - This records the electrical activity of the heartbeat to detect irregularities.
• Stress test - Monitoring the heart rate while exercising shows how well the heart handles exertion.
• Echocardiogram - An ultrasound creates images of the heart to visualize damage or dysfunction.
• Blood tests - These check cholesterol, blood sugar, and markers of heart damage in the blood.
• Angiography - Dye is injected into the bloodstream to view blockages in the arteries under x-ray.

How can I prevent cardiovascular disease?

The most important things you can do are:

• Maintain a healthy diet and weight
• Get regular exercise
• Quit smoking
• Control conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
• Take medications as prescribed
• Limit alcohol
• Reduce stress through yoga, meditation, etc.

Making heart-healthy choices and changes while you're still young is the best way to prevent CVD down the road! Small steps matter.

I hope this overview on cardiovascular disease - what it is, what causes it, how it's diagnosed, and how to prevent it - helps provide a solid understanding of this major global health threat! Let me know if you have any other questions.