• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.
• An American will have a coronary event approximately every 25 seconds.
• One American will die every minute from a heart attack.
• Symptoms of heart attack can vary between men and women.
• Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger a heart attack.
• Heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25 - 44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45 - 64 years.
• The average age for a first heart attack for men is 66.
• Between 70% and 89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men.
• For best heart health women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day and men should have no more than two.
• African-Americans have an increased risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
• Up to 40% of all individuals with PAD have no leg pain.
• Smoking increases the risk of PAD by 2 - 6 times and worsens the symptoms of PAD.
• Individuals with PAD are at risk for developing coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
• High blood pressure usually presents no warning signs or symptoms, so many people don't realize they have it.
• About 1 in 3 of U.S. adults has high blood pressure.
• High blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death in the U.S.
• About 1 in 4 American adults have prehypertension - blood pressure measurements that are higher than normal but not yet in the range of high blood pressure.
• Approximately 1 in 6 adults in the U.S. has high cholesterol.
• People with high cholesterol have approximately twice the risk for heart disease as people with lower levels.
• High cholesterol does not present with any symptoms.
• The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that adults get their cholesterol checked every five years.
• Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common in men and in people aged 65 and older.
• Thoracic aortic aneurysms are associated with high blood pressure.
• Smoking is associated with a 3 - 5 fold increase in abdominal aortic aneurysms.
• The most effective means of preventing aortic aneurysms is to stop smoking, control high blood pressure, and lower your cholesterol levels.
• Nearly 6 million people in the U.S. have heart failure.
• The most common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
• The incidence of atrial fibrillation increases with age.
• African-Americans experience atrial fibrillation at a much lower rate than whites.
• Atrial fibrillation is responsible for 15% - 20% of ischemic strokes.
• Atrial fibrillation increases a patient's risk of suffering an ischemic stroke by 5 times.
• Every year more than 1 million patients have angioplasty.
• Every year about 1 million people survive a heart attack in the U.S.
• Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation has been proven to reduce re-hospitalization rates.
• Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation reduces recurrent sudden cardiac death.
• Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation lessens the need for cardiac medication.
• Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation increases the rate of being physically able to return to work.
• Pulmonary hypertension affects older women more commonly than men and younger women.
• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
• Someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds.
• Every three to four minutes someone dies of stroke.
• Stroke is a leading cause of death for both men and women.
• Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S.
• There are two types of stroke - ischemic stroke (a clot blocks blood flow to the brain) and hemorrhagic stroke (a ruptured blood vessel prevents blood flow to the brain).
• About 40% of stroke deaths occur in males, and 60% in females.

Mercy Heart & Vascular Center
2400 Cherry Street
Toledo, OH 43608
(419) 251-3232

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