Heart Disease - How Do You Get It?

How do you get heart disease? It is one of the top reasons for death around the world - especially coronary heart disease. It causes lost work time, and inhibits daily activity for millions.

What percentage of the population has heart disease? Statistics vary, dependent on who is giving them and how they are calculated. However, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) shows that 12 percent of noninstitutionalized adults in the U.S. had diagnosed heart disease in 2005, the most recent year for statistics. That is about 25.6 million U.S. adults who are not in nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Add institutionalized adults, and the number climbs. Add people who show symptoms and have risk factors, but have not yet been diagnosed, and the figure climbs again.

But how do you get heart disease? It is not contagious, so you cannot “catch” it by living with someone who has it.

How do you get heart disease?

Heart disease is “gotten” in more than one way.

* Congenital: Some people are born with heart disease. The heart is one of the organs that forms first in the developing baby. The baby needs a heart to pump blood as it grows within the mother’s womb. By eight weeks after the baby is conceived, his or her heart is completely formed. During those first eight weeks, many complex steps must occur in the developing heart. Each must happen at a specific time. If any one step fails to take place at just the right time, a heart defect can result. The baby is born with that defect. The exact origin of most congenital heart defects remains a mystery.

* Age: At the other end of life from congenital heart disease is the disease that comes with age. Birthdays do not cause you to get heart disease. Not every senior citizen has heart disease, but each year takes its toll on the body’s muscles, of which the heart is one. As muscles age, they tend to weaken. Muscle tissue gradually breaks down and, despite exercise, it begins to wear out. Death from heart disease in old age is often termed death from natural causes. It affects both men and women.

* Genetics: A person may inherit a tendency for a particular type of heart disease. It may be written in their genetic code. Their body is set to follow the recipe for heart disease. Even when they live exactly as people do who lack this genetic makeup, their genetics are likely to cause heart disease. We cannot blame a baby for his or her congenital heart disease acquired during the first eight weeks of life in the womb. Neither can we level blame for heart disease on the person who inherits the disease.

* OverWEIGHT: Excess WEIGHT, overWEIGHT, obesity - by whatever name, this is one of the factors, one of the causes of heart disease. Your specific heart is designed to pump blood through your specific body at a healthy WEIGHT. If you have large bones in a tall body, your heart is designed to get blood to every inch. If you have small bones in a short body, the heart is designed to handle that size. When you add WEIGHT, however, you add additional feet of blood vessels. You ask your heart to work harder. The muscle tries to perform up to expectations, but can develop heart disease in the process.

* Lifestyle: You can get heart disease from the way you choose to live your life. If you sit around most of the day, your heart muscle will lack the exercise it needs to remain strong. If you indulge in smoking tobacco or using drugs, you put yourself at risk for heart disease. If you are an alcoholic (drink too much) or a glutton (eat too much), you are more likely to get heart disease.

CAUTION: The information above is for educational purposes only. If you have symptoms that you believe may be related to heart disease, please see your doctor immediately.