Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

lesterol and lipoproteins the LIVERmanufactures.
Insulin is also a key player in type 2 DIABETES,
which is another risk factor for cardiovascular dis-
ease. Eating too much of any kind of food, how-
ever, results in increased body weight. OBESITYis
another risk factor for numerous forms of CVD,
notably hypertension and atherosclerosis. For
many people a weight loss of 10 pounds can
decrease systolic blood pressure by 10 millimeters
of mercury (mm Hg) and lower CHOLESTEROL BLOOD
LEVELSby 5 to 10 percent.

Physical Exercise
Daily physical activity is emerging as perhaps the
single-most important lifestyle factor in regard to
cardiovascular health and perhaps health overall.
Exercise affects cellular METABOLISMin numerous
ways. Cardiovascularly, exercise improves the effi-
ciency with which cells use oxygen, lowering
demand on the heart. AEROBIC EXERCISEincreases
LUNG CAPACITY, putting more oxygen into the blood
with each breath. Exercise also increases insulin
sensitivity, improving cholesterol ratios as well as
glucose efficiency. Walking aids the lower extrem-
ities in moving blood back to the heart, with the
skeletal muscles massaging and supporting the
veins that must work against gravity to accom-
plish this task.

Lifestyle Modifications

Health experts agree that while the greatest car-
diovascular benefits come from lifelong lifestyle
habits that support cardiovascular health, it is
never too late to make changes that improve car-
diovascular status. Even when cardiovascular dis-
ease exists, doing lifestyle modifications such as
nutritious EATING HABITS, daily physical exercise,
WEIGHT LOSS AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT, and SMOKING
CESSATION can mitigate symptoms and allow a
more acceptable quality of life.
See alsoCARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION; DIET
AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH; DIET AND HEALTH; EXER-
CISE AND HEALTH; HEALTH RISK FACTORS; HEALTHYPEO-
PLE 2010; PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND CARDIOVASCULAR
HEALTH; SMOKING AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.

living with cardiovascular disease More than
70 million Americans—nearly 35 percent of the
U.S. population—live with some form of diag-

nosed CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE(CVD). Many of them

continue in the jobs and leisure activities they

have always enjoyed, due in large part to

advances in technology, surgery, and drugs that

allow early diagnosis, prompt intervention, and

successful treatment. Others—about 10 million—

find their lives entirely changed by permanent dis-

ability. STROKE alone disables nearly a million

Americans each year. Some people see their car-

diovascular conditions as opportunities to improve

their health and QUALITY OF LIFE, and some people

see them as limitations. Living with CVD has

physical and emotional dimensions that reach into

nearly every aspect of life, from work and career

to relationship and family.

Physical Dimensions

About 10 million Americans live with some

degree of permanent disability as a result of CVD

that limits their abilities to work and participate in

activities they enjoy. One in three people who has

a stroke experiences residual complications rang-

ing from memory and cognitive disturbances to

PARALYSIS. Half of people who have heart attacks

experience compromised cardiovascular function,

some of which is short term and improves over

time, and some of which is long term and does not

get much better with time. These changes may

require adaptive accommodations in the home

and the workplace. CARDIAC REHABILITATION pro-

grams help people recover to the best level possi-

ble, teaching new methods for managing lifestyle

tasks and establishing individual recovery goals

and the steps to reach them.

Emotional Dimensions

People who experience heart attack and other car-

diovascular crises find themselves confronting

their own mortality in ways that can be discon-

certing and frightening. Some people experience

renewed appreciation for life and its daily details.

Some people turn to faith, either in gratitude or in

anger. Some people flail about emotionally, sud-

denly unsure of life’s purpose. Family members

may not understand or may themselves find the

close call a frightening experience. Feelings and

emotions are as much a part of managing cardio-

vascular conditions as are medications and opera-

tions. Medical centers and hospitals that provide

living with cardiovascular disease 73