Advanced Medical Clinic Blog

One in four deaths are attributed to heart disease in the United States. That works out to about 610,000 people who die from the disease each year.

It’s the leading cause of death in the United States. More than 62 million Americans have some form of it. And to top things off, there are many different types of this disease that health care providers must contend with.

Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, encompasses many different conditions that can lead to a heart attack. Most types of heart disease involve atherosclerosis.

As modern and advanced as we think the United States is, it may still come as a surprise to some that obesity is a very real and present epidemic. In fact, 35 percent of adults and 17 percent of children and adolescents are considered overweight to the point of being obese.

With heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States, it is essential that we find ways to reduce our risk for this illness. One thing that will help tremendously is being aware of, and maintaining, healthy blood pressure. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the most common chronic illnesses in this country, and left unchecked, can not only lead to heart disease, but also circulation problems, stroke, kidney disease, and loss of vision. It is estimated that 20% of Americans have hypertension, and while it usually starts at about age 30, it often goes undetected for many years. For this reason, it is important that you understand what hypertension is, what causes it, and what you can do about it.