Living With Heart Disease
By Larry Katzenstein
Chronic heart disease — heart attacks and strokes — causes more than 40 percent of all deaths in the United States. That’s 950,000 people each year or one person every 33 seconds. Statistically more vulnerable with age, hundreds of men and women begin the struggle to manage or prevent its occurrence every day. So naturally it’s on the mind of older Americans and the family members who cherish them. What exactly is heart disease — and what forms does it take? Who gets it, and how is it diagnosed? What steps can you take to prevent the problem from worsening? Which are the best therapies? How can you best reduce stress, lower weight, control blood pressure? AARP has the answers.