Heart Disease

Heart disease is the term for all diseases and conditions that affect the heart. It is the “cardio” component of cardiovascular disease, which also includes diseases of the vascular system (blood vessels).

Coronary artery disease, one type of heart disease, is the leading cause of heart attacks. The most common cause of coronary artery disease is atherosclerosis, a condition that occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Facts About Heart Disease in the United States

Around 16 million Americans have heart disease Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for both men and women 50% of men and 64% of women who died suddenly of heart disease had no previous symptoms View Sources

Warning signs

If you have coronary artery disease, you may experience chest pain or shortness of breath. Both of these symptoms are also common symptoms of heart attack, so if you experience either one you should get medical attention immediately.

Risk factors

Some risk factors cannot be changed, including family history of heart disease, increasing age, and being male. However, there are several established risk factors for heart disease that are controllable. These include smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese, and diabetes. Elevated C-reactive protein is now also considered a risk factor for heart disease.

You can reduce your risk of getting heart disease by eliminating any risk factors you can. Getting regular heart disease screenings is another way to take control of your risk.

Diagnosis and screening of heart disease

Life Line Screening offers screenings for two important risk factors for heart disease. Our complete lipid panel screening will detect high cholesterol. We also offer the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein screening to determine if your C-reactive protein levels are high.

Interested in learning more about heart disease? Read our FAQs.