Hello Family and Friends,
We are in the midst of Heart Health Awareness Month. The heart is undoubtedly one of the most important organs in your body. If your heart fails to work, your entire body will be deprived of oxygen and nutrients, which is incompatible with life. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in most racial groups.
In 2020, approximately 697,000 Americans died from heart disease, equating to almost 2,000 deaths per day. To break it down even further, one in every five deaths is attributable to heart disease, and one person dies of heart disease every 34 seconds.
So, what causes heart disease? The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease, which was the cause of death in 382,820 people in 2020. What's even more shocking is that an estimated 20.1 million adults in the US have some degree of coronary artery disease.
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Plaque consists of cholesterol, fatty substances, waste products, calcium, and the clot-making substance called fibrin. Over time, plaque deposits on your artery walls, causing them to become narrow and stiff. This plaque will limit or stop blood flow to your heart muscle. Consequently, if your heart does not get enough blood, it can't get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to work properly. Not getting enough blood supply to your heart muscle can lead to chest discomfort or pain, also known as angina. Ultimately, it puts you at a greater risk of a heart attack or even death. Most heart attacks happen when plaque breaks off, causing a blood clot that obstructs blood flow through the coronary arteries. Moreover, as plaque deposits in your artery's walls, your body mounts a defense by sending white blood cells to attack the cholesterol. Unfortunately, the attack causes increased inflammation which adds fuel to the