The most prevalent disease affecting Americans is heart disease. Based on recent statistics, the American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that 80,000,000 American adults (one in three) have one or more types of cardiovascular disease… of which 38,000,000 of these people are under the age of 60.

What’s more, the AHA indicates cardiovascular problems result in about 864,000 deaths each year!

Even more shocking are these numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)…

• 70 percent of all Americans have plaque blocking their arteries by age 40.
• 90 percent of Americans are in jeopardy of serious health conditions due to poor circulation and clogged blood flow.
• Every 26 seconds an American will suffer a coronary “event,” and about every minute somebody will die from one.

The vast majority affected will be people with the highest risk factors such as smoking… high blood pressure… diabetes… inactivity… obesity… allergies… chronic infections or diseases… and feelings of stress, anger or depression.

What can you do to lower your chances of heart disease? Simple! 

• Lower your cholesterol
• Control your blood pressure
• Start a regular exercise program
• Increase your intake of whole foods
• Reduce your sugar consumption
• Control your blood sugar levels and/or diabetes
• Quit smoking
• Limit your alcohol intake

Changes in your diet and your exercise regimen can make a world of difference in protecting not only your heart, but your entire body!

According to researchers from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the risk of developing heart disease intensifies immensely when women begin their menopausal cycle, which normally occurs around the age of 50.

"Many women younger than 50 have not yet gone through menopause and still have high levels of the female hormone estrogen in their blood, which is thought to help protect the heart," said Dr. Vera Rigolin. "After menopause, however, the levels of estrogen in a woman’s body drop significantly and can contribute to the higher risks of cardiovascular disease."

One of the reasons for the increased risk is that some of the symptoms associated with menopause, such as weight gain, may be detrimental to heart health. Putting on a few extra pounds may leave a woman more susceptible to high blood pressure and diabetes, in addition to heart problem.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, an enzyme known as calcineurin is crucial to maintaining the normal development and function of heart cells.

Researchers examined mice test subjects and noted that rodents that were missing the protein had a greater risk of heart problems and death.

"We found that when you eliminate calcineurin, a pool of genes that regulates calcium in the heart went awry. This leads to defects in the growth and proliferation of heart cells, heart disease, arrhythmia, loss of contractility and heart failure and disease," said researcher Dr. Marjorie Maillet.

The scientists also noted that the nutritional supplement, calcium, is also a large component to proper heart function, and that individuals should make sure they have a healthy amount of the nutrient incorporated into their diet.

Findings published in the journal, Maturitas, revealed that elderly who had a high intake of vitamin D have a 43 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Researchers were able to determine that there was a 33 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 55 percent reduction of type 2 diabetes and a 51 percent chance of not developing metabolic syndrome.

“We found that high levels of vitamin D among middle age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome," said study co-author Dr. Oscar Franco.

The authors also write that these findings should instill the importance of checking older individuals for vitamin D deficiency, and instead encouraging a higher intake of the nutritional supplement.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Earl Ford, says for most United States adults achieving low-risk status is a "distant and challenging" goal. He adds that the strides made in the past few decades have been "eroded by the increases in excess weight, diabetes and hypertension."

The report, which examined data from several national surveys on low-risk adults, finds women are more likely than men to be considered low risk. White people also had lower risk than both African Americans and Mexican Americans.

Low-risk criteria includes not smoking, having total cholesterol below 200 mg, having blood pressure below 120/80 and having never been diagnosed with diabetes.

Natural therapies, including exercise, a low-fat diet and taking nutritional supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids may further lower the odds of developing heart disease.

The alkaline diet, which is rich in citrus fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and legumes may also be beneficial.

According to findings published in the journal, Neurology, migraine sufferers are twice as likely to have heart attacks compared to people who don’t suffer from the painful headaches. They were also more susceptible to stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Researchers were surprised by these findings, noting that most individuals simply view the headaches as a discomfort to their daily routine, not something that could be detrimental to their health.

"Migraine has been viewed as a painful condition that affects quality of life, but not as a threat to people’s overall health," said lead investigator Dr. Richard B. Lipton. "Our study suggests that migraine is not an isolated disorder and that, when caring for people with migraine, we should also be attentive to detecting and treating their cardiovascular risk factors."

Migraines are the most common between the ages of 25 and 55 and women are three times more likely to suffer from the pain than men.

According to a new study published in the New England Medical Journal, even though the lung disease has little to no symptoms, it can still dramatically alter a patient’s heart health, by decreasing its ability to properly pump blood.

Previous studies have linked severe cases of COPD to heart health. However, there has been little evidence to determine the effects of a mild case.

One in five Americans have COPD, but many might not even know it due to the lack of symptoms. The disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

After studying 2,816 healthy adults, it was determined even patients with a mild case of COPD with no symptoms had problems with their heart functions.

"This study shows that COPD, even in its mildest form, is associated with diminished heart function," said Dr. Susan B. Shurin.

A new study published in the journal Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions suggests patients who are experiencing chest pains who have an electrocardiogram (EKG) assessment before entering the hospital will have to wait less time for treatment upon arrival.

After surveying the average amount of treatment time, researchers determined that when emergency technicians treated patients with an EKG, they only had to wait 60.2 minutes for treatment in the hospital. Patients who did not receive EKGs waited an average of 90.5 minutes for treatment.

The serious situation is that for every 30 minutes a patient waits for treatment, it’s possible that the elevated risk of mortality rate increases by one year.

"Our results re-emphasize the importance of early activation of the (cardiac catheterization laboratory) CCL in order to improve time-to-reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), [when a blood clot completely obstructs the artery]," concluded Dr. Shukri David.

In a new study published in Circulation Research, it was found that beta-blockers that only target the beta-receptors may undermine the functions of the heart and put the organ in jeopardy.

However, beta-blockers that target both the alpha- and beta-receptors still offer the most benefits for cardiac patients.

Patients with heart disease usually have higher levels of catecholamines, which activate beta-receptors. When patients take beta-blockers, it causes the heart to produce a more efficient pump, but ultimately this process could lead to heart failure.

Alarmingly, the researchers report that this has been the treatment for cardiac patients for the past 50 years without fully understanding the molecular consequences.

Study leader Kevin Xiang feels that this study is key if people still continue to use beta-blockers as a treatment.

"It definitely will help people along the way to understand how to further manipulate this system. Beta blockers are still the most commonly used drug for heart disease," Xiang said.

New findings published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that those who suffered from pediatric cancer are more susceptible to developing high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which could lead to heart disease.

The study observed pediatric cancer survivors and their siblings. It was found that the survivors were twice as likely to take medication for high blood pressure, 60 percent more likely to require cholesterol medication and 70 percent more likely to develop diabetes.

"In this study we identified whether the predisposing risk factors for cardiovascular disease — obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemea and diabetes — were present at higher rates compared to siblings," explained Dr. Lillian Meacham. "If the risk factors could be recognized and treated early it is hoped some of the long-term cardiac side effects could be averted."

Following an alkaline diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may assist in keeping the heart healthy, as well as controlling other possible health complications.