Heart Disease

Geri_Berri · **Geri_Berri**

Heart disease

Heart disease is the major cause of death among men. It claims nearly half a million lives every year in the United States and is more likely in men than women. Heart disease can take several forms but the most prevalent is coronary heart disease, in which the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen become blocked and the heart muscle becomes increasingly stressed. Arteriosclerosis, a major factor, is the hardening of arteries due to the accumulation of fats and other substances. Hypertension, or high blood pressure also poses major risks for both heart disease and stroke. Angina pectoris is the chest pain associated with the early stages of heart disease; over three million American men suffer from it. When the blockage of blood supply to the heart becomes severe, a myocardial infarction (heart attack) may occur, which can be fatal.

The main symptom of angina pectoris is sharp pain on the left side of the chest that may radiate throughout the upper body. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, and swelling in the legs and ankles. Angina may be triggered by physical or emotional stress and lasts up to 30 minutes. Heart attacks have similar symptoms but with longer and more intense pain in the chest and upper body and may be accompanied by cold sweats and vomiting.

The American Heart Association lists the main risk factors for heart disease as being male, old age, having family history of the disease, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, alcoholism, obesity, physical inactivity and stress. Clearly, lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise and stress control play major roles in the development and prevention of heart disease in men.

Source - http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/mens_health.jsp