Suggested by the writer
Heart failure kills more people than any other medical condition. It is the leading cause of death in U.S and also in many developed countries. It is also the leading cause of death globally ("WHO | Heart disease", 2016). The idea that heart failure could be genetic is reasonable. According to the thrifty gene hypothesis, evolution has favored the selection of genes that support survival in times of food shortage. However, these genes have become detrimental to humans, as there has never been a food shortage in most countries for decades. Instead economic growth and prosperity, has resulted in people being overfed. Further, the technology growth has reduced the amount of physical work done by most people. The result of this is that the thrifty genes help accumulate energy in the form of fat, but there was never an opportunity for the stored fat to be spent at work. This could be the cause of the global obesity epidemic. Obesity predisposes people to insulin resistance and heart diseases.
Further, the fast food culture and the high consumption of energy dense, high calorie diet, has contributed to dyslipidaemia. Dyslipidaemia is widely prevalent in the U.S population. High LDL-cholesterol level and high triglyceride levels in the blood, can lead to the formation of atherosclerosis plaque. These plaques block major arteries in the body. The coronary artery is commonly affected. (Mendis, Puska, & Norrving, 2011)
The risk of heart disease increases with age. A great majority of the heart failure cases are above 40 years of age in men and after menopausal age in women. Heart disease is very rare in young adults, who are less than 40 years of age. However, young adult with a high family history of heart disease are advised to have a regular health check-up every 3 to 5 years. A healthy Mediterranean diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, quitting smoking habit and regular exercise are ideal ways to keep the disease at bay. In spite of the rising awareness, there has not been an appreciable drop in heart failure and cardiovascular diseases. (NCHS, 2014)
References
Mendis, S., Puska, P., & Norrving, B. (2011). Global atlas on cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Geneva: World Health Organization in collaboration with the World Heart Federation and the World Stroke Organization.
NCHS,. (2014). Health Risk Factors. National Center for Health Statistics (US). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209209/
WHO | Heart disease. (2016). Who.int. Retrieved 27 May 2016, from http://www.who.int/tobacco/research/heart_disease/en/
