Heart Disease
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Heart disease refers to several conditions that affect the heart. In the United States, it affects more than 1 in 10 adults (30 million) and is the leading cause of death for people of most racial and ethnic groups (responsible for about 1 in 4 deaths).
Heart disease may not be diagnosed until a person experiences signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia. These symptoms may include:
- Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath
- Heart failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins
- Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations)
Who is at risk?
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of all adults in the United States have at least one of these risk factors. Other medical conditions and health behaviors that put you at higher risk are:
- Diabetes
- Alcohol use
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Overweight and obesity
Your risk for heart disease increases as you age and if you have a history of heart disease in your family.
How is heart disease treated?
Your health care provider may prescribe one or more FDA-approved medications to treat your heart disease or its risk factors. Some types of heart disease are also treated with medical devices such as pacemakers (implanted in the body to regulate the heart rate) or stents (metal tubes that are inserted in an artery to improve blood flow). Your health care provider will work with you to determine which treatment is the best option for your condition.
Participating in a cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) program after having a heart attack, heart failure, or some type of heart surgery is important for recovery. Supervised by a team of health care professionals, this program may include:
- Physical activity
- Counseling to find ways to relieve stress and improve your mental health
- Education about healthy living (such as healthy eating), taking medication as prescribed, and ways to help you quit smoking
Heart disease and clinical trials
The FDA encourages diverse participation in clinical trials. If you think a clinical trial may be right for you, talk to your health care provider. You can also search for clinical trials in your area at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.
For more information on health equity, visit www.fda.gov/healthequity.
Download Heart Disease Resources
Additional Languages
We hope that you find these translations useful. While the agency has attempted to obtain translations that are as faithful as possible to the English version, we recognize that the translated versions may not be as precise, clear, or complete as the English version. The official versions of these materials are the English versions.
- ᎤᏙᎯᏳ ᎪᏪᎳᏅ: ᎠᏓᏅᏙᎩ ᎥᏳᎩ (Fact Sheet: Heart Disease)
- ᎪᏪᎵ ᏗᎬᏃᏣᏢᏍᎩ: ᎠᎯᎸᏍᏗ ᏣᏤᎵ ᎠᏓᏅᏙᎩ ᎥᏳᎩ (Brochure: Managing Your Heart Disease)
- ᏓᏟᎶᏍᏗᏓᏅ ᎠᎪᏩᏛᏗ ᏗᎦᎳᏫᎩ: ᎦᏙᎤᏍᏗ ᏄᏍᏛ ᎠᏓᏅᏙᎩ ᎥᏳᎩ? (Infographic: What Is Heart Disease?)
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏗᎪᏪᎳᏅᎢ ᎡᎳᏗᏢ ᎨᏒ ᏗᏛᏅᎢᏍᏔᏅ ᎾᎿᎢ ᎢᎸᏍᎩ ᏙᏱᏗᏢ ᏂᏓᏳᎶᏒ ᏗᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ. FDA ᏓᎵᏍᎪᎸᏗ ᎯᎠᏃ ᏗᏁᏢᏔᏅᎯ ᎯᎢᎾᎢ ᎢᏯᏓᏛᏁᏗ ᎾᎢ ᎠᏯᏖᎾ ᎠᏰᎵ ᏍᏆᏂᏱ ᏚᎾᏙᏢᏒᎢ ᎤᎾᏛᏓᏍᏗ. ᎤᏚᎩ ᎣᎬᎭ ᎾᏍᎩᎾᎢ ᏣᏩᏛᏗ ᎯᎠᏃ ᏗᏁᏢᏔᏅᎯ ᏗᎨᎬᏙᏗ. ᎠᏏᏉ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᎦᏘᏯ ᎦᎵ ᎤᏁᎵᏔᏅ ᏧᏁᏍᏗ ᏗᏁᏢᏔᏅᎯ ᎾᏍᎩᎾᎢ ᎯᎾᎢ ᎤᏬᎯᏳᏒ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏱᎬᏩᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎩᎵᏏ ᏄᏓᎴᏒᎢ, ᎣᏦᎵᎩ ᎾᏍᎩᎾᎢ ᎠᏁᏢᏔᏅᎢ ᏂᏚᏓᎴᏒᎢ ᏰᎵᏊ ᏞᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎧᎵ ᏗᏙᎵᎩ, ᎤᎵᎦᎵᏴᏓ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᏍᏆᏛᏃᏅ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎩᎵᏏ ᏄᏓᎴᏒᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏓᏂᎸᏨᎢ ᏄᏓᎴᏒᎢ ᎯᎠᏃ ᏗᎪᏪᎳᏅᎢ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎩᎵᏏ ᏄᏓᎴᏒᎢ.
- Bee Ééhózinii Naaltsoos: Ajéí Binaałniih (Fact Sheet: Heart Disease)
- Naaltsoos: Nijéí Binaałniih Bits’ąą Ádaa Áhályą́níí (Brochure: Managing Your Heart Disease)
- Eda’alyaaí: Ajéí Binaałniihshą’ Ha’át’íí Óolyé? (Infographic: What is Heart Disease?)
Díí naaltsos wóyah gi sinilígíí di kwíí shį́į́h Bíla’ashdla’ii Ałtah Dóóne’é nilį́į go Bizaad ał ąą’á daa t’ée go bee’ áta’ ná háne’ go Ał tah Ádóóne’é kéyah t’áá’ náá hwís t’áa ńt’éé’ bá‘ ádeil yaa kojí FDA Da’ íníísh dóó. Kót’áó baa hane’ígíí bee’ áta’ ná háne’ go bó hó née dzą́ą́ go hane’ chii díłįł nii dzin t’áá’ daats’í nił ákó t’é. Kódóó Da’íníshígíí t’áá’ áyisíí Bilagáanaa bizaad bee ha’oo dzíí’ gi nízhóní go, k’éz don go, bik’izh doo txįł ígi’ át’áó nát’ą́ą’ bee’ ata’ ná hóóne’ doo nii dzin Ałtah Diné’é’ bizaad łah góó shį́į́ t’áá’ áaní t’áá nani tł‘ah ał tah Diné’é bizaad bee’ Bilagáanaa bizaad dę́ę́’ bee’ ata’ ná ho jil ne’ go ła’ saad bá’á daa din go da. Bilagáanaa bizaad jí’ áyisíí bó hól níh ílįį́ go bee ha’oo dzíí’jí dooléł hane’ yíníł ta’ go hazhó’ó bik’i’ di díí txįł.
- Elitarkat: Ircaqum Naullutii (Fact Sheet: Heart Disease)
- Cauga Augem Naullutii (Infographic: What is Heart Disease?)
Kalikat kanani igaumaut allat yuut ayuqenrilngurnek qaneryaraitgun. FDA-q kalikangqertuq mumigtanek allat nunarpiit qaneryaraitgun. Umyuartequukut mumigtat ikayurnakuyukluci. Pitacirramcetun mumigcillruukut ukunek kalikanek, taugaam pitsaqenritukut mumigtat ilait elluarrluteng igaumanricukluki. Kass’atun igaumalria elluatuqluni igaumauq.