Adults, seniors, men, women - patients from just about every walk of life can and do develop chronic heart disease, a condition in which it is increasingly difficult for the heart to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. In fact, cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of U.S. women, and there's a growing recognition that heart attack risk increases after menopause. Some say that we aought to pay more attention to heart attack risk for younger women as well.
According to the WSJ Health Blog, in recent decades, heart-attack risk rose for women aged 35 to 54, even as it fell for men in the same age group (Archives of Internal Medicine). Prevalence is still much higher for men in that age group than in women, but this change, many say, is cause for concern. Read more here.
So what is the answer - what can be done to prevent the onset of heart disease? Is legislation to tax fattening foods the solution? Or do we take our health into our own hands and live healthy lifestyles? Weigh in now!
Adults, seniors, men, women - patients from just about every walk of life can and do develop chronic heart disease, a condition in which it is increasingly difficult for the heart to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. A new study has indicated what we've seen for years - given they are seeking the appropriate treatment for their condition, patients with chronic heart disease fare better at home versus the hospital.
According to U.S and World Report, an estimated five million North Americans suffer from the disease, and this number is undoubtedly to the growing prevalence of obesity and diabetes. In the United States, worsening chronic heart failure is the cause of more than one million hospital admissions a year, and patients have a 50 percent risk of readmission within six months of discharge, according to the authors of a study published in the Sept. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
We want to hear from you! What are the greatest factors contributing this finding? Why do heart disease patients benefit from being treated in their homes rather than the hospital?