Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular Disease:

A World Health Issue

Andrew Blumenreich

Professor Christine Connolly, PhD

HEA 470

18 June 2014

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular Disease: A World Health Issue

Across the world, there aren’t many things that have a larger scale and are more

prominent than the health industry. The health industry is important whether you are examining

it from a country-to-country level or you look deeper and examine a small community. For

example, in Westchester County, New York, the health industry is tied into: politics, the

economy, and both social and cultural events. The health industry rapidly changes and grows all

the time; this is why the health industry plays a vital role in each and every one of the lives of the

residents of Westchester County. Having a health industry that residents can rely on to protect

them and keep them safe is what every person expects and deserves. Unfortunately, health

awareness is still not where it needs to be and there are many diseases that have an affect on

people’s lives on a daily basis. One of those diseases is heart disease. Heart disease is one of the

leading causes of death in America. Based on studies it has been shown that heart disease kills

one American every 39 seconds (WP Hospital, 2014). As a result many steps are being taken to

prevent and slow down the rate of death caused by heart disease in Westchester County.

There are many social and cultural events that take place in Westchester County. The

main goal of these events is to try to raise the average persons knowledge of heart disease. Most

people are aware of what heart disease is but they do not understand how to take steps to prevent

heart disease. Since heart disease can affect everyone, there are events that take place all over

Westchester for all different types of people. One of the events that took place was at The

Westchester, in White Plains. This event was designed to teach senior citizens about the

symptoms of heart disease, and also how to check for signs of heart disease daily using a new

self-monitoring blood pressure system (Med, 2014). The event was also fantastic because it

offered people an opportunity to be a part of a healthy walking initiative. This program allows its

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

members to walk around the mall, which is great exercise. Another event that takes place around

the Hudson Valley area is called Go Red for Women. This event strives to teach women about

the signs of heart disease, by having teaching seminars. A lot of people believe heart disease is

more prominent in men, but heart disease is actually the number one killer of women. In fact

heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined (HV Heart, 2014). An event

like Go Red for Women is important because it teaches women that with minor changes to their

lifestyle eighty-three percent of coronary events can be prevented (HV Heart, 2014). With more

and more events taking place around Westchester County, people are beginning to understand

the severity of this disease. Events like these are crucial to prevent heart disease going forward.

To prevent future cases of heart disease, there is a lot of lobbying that goes on to make

sure that hospitals have the greatest opportunities to treat patients. That’s why the Westchester

area has some of the best hospitals and some of the newest technology that’s used for treating

patients. An example of this is White Plains Hospital, which received Echocardiography

accreditation by the IAC (WP Hospital, 2014). This type of accreditation is really hard to receive

and only goes to the best hospitals that demonstrate a high ability to meet and satisfy specific

regulations. Another great local hospital, which has shown and proven to have a great ability to

treat patients that are diagnosed with heart disease and symptoms of heart disease, is Northern

Westchester Hospital. Northern Westchester hospital follows all of the regulations set by the

American Heart Association and American Stroke Association (NW Hospital, 2014). Hospitals

in Westchester are also using state of the art technology, which makes treating patients who have

had strokes and other cases of heart disease much easier than in the past. This has all happened

because of the demands of the people over the 20th and 21st century, to put the best equipment

and best doctors available into these hospitals.

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

One problem that some people are facing in Westchester County is finding a way to pay

for their prescription drugs. The way that the economy is today, it is very hard for people living

in Westchester County to afford their medication. Westchester County is one of the most

expensive places to reside in, in the United States of America; with average property taxes

costing $9,647 per year. While the average property taxes for sixty percent of counties in the

United States is $500 to $1,500 per year (Sahadi, 2013). It is even harder for residents of

Westchester County who have no insurance to come up with enough money to be able to afford

the pills that they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It gets even worse when you realize that

people suffering from heart disease; need to take so many different pills ranging from high blood

pressure pills, to high cholesterol pills, to diabetes pills and many others. With all of the costs

that it takes to keep heart disease in check many people are making difficult decisions to pay for

other things and put their health aside.

With hospitals and health insurance becoming more costly all the time, a condition like

heart disease is becoming harder to treat, because of the costs for care. Today we have some

tools that aid in the prevention of heart disease but it is still killing way too many people. There

are many things that are known about heart disease that weren’t known in the past and places

like the Colombia Doctors of Hudson Valley are giving great guidelines to prevent heart disease.

If the residents that live in Westchester County take the steps to prevent heart disease that are

given to them like being active every day, eating healthier and reducing stress by laughing and

talking to family and friends they will have increased odds of reducing their chance of heart

disease (Glibicky, 2014).

With all of the efforts taken by the Westchester County community and hospitals to

prevent heart disease, the area is on a great path towards helping New York eradicate heart

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

disease. Unlike most diseases, heart disease is not contagious, but heart disease makes up for that

by being extremely fatal, with many people experiencing no signs of heart disease until death.

While heart disease can have sudden and devastating effects; like a stroke or high blood pressure,

the effects usually take their time to build up and reach their deadliest stage. This is when they

can kill the individual within moments. Heart disease causes plaque to build up in the veins and

arteries within the heart, which eventually will constrict the flow of blood. This stops the heart

from beating within seconds. Heart disease is the leading killer of all residents living in New

York State; and nearly 40 percent of all deaths in New York were due to Cardiovascular Disease

in 2008 (Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, 2008). Since heart disease is so deadly there are

many actions being taken to limit the dangers.

There are many political happenings in New York State to attempt to minimize the effect

that heart disease is having on the inhabitants of the state. One thing that politicians and activist

groups around the country and especially in New York are doing is joining the National Salt

Reduction Initiative or NSRI for short. Since salt is one of the leading factors in the increase of

high blood pressure, which is one of the foremost causes of Heart Disease, the NYC Health

Department is enforcing a public and private partnership to reduce the amount of salt in food

packaging and also the amount of salt used in restaurant food (National Salt, n.d.). This is a

gigantic first step in tackling Heart Disease in New York and it shows that lobbying in the state

has gotten through to the politicians, because they are choosing to enforce this completely

voluntary standard that is set by the NSRI. In addition to that the NYC Health Department is also

planning on observing the changes in sodium intake of New Yorker’s through a 24-hour urinary

sodium analysis, which is part of the Heart Follow-Up Study (National Salt, n.d.). On another

note the American Heart Association asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo to motivate New Yorker’s to

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

improve their cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association wants Gov. Cuomo to

make CPR training a requirement for all high school graduates. Also the group is lobbying to

ban all artificial trans fats from restaurant menus, mandatory screenings for heart defects in

babies and further funding for heart disease prevention, obesity prevention and tobacco control

(Bakeman, 2013). This could lead to more knowledge of ways to prevent heart disease and if

Gov. Andrew Cuomo does make it mandatory for high school graduates to know CPR, the

American Heart Association says that onlookers who know CPR can double or triple the survival

rate of heart disease (Bakeman, 2013). Anyway you look at having a Governor who is involved

and committed to preventing heart disease can only lead to positive things down the road for the

residents of New York State.

A cultural undertaking going on in New York State to prevent heart disease is the

Healthy Heart Program. The New York State Healthy Heart Program is attempting to reduce

deaths caused by heart disease by making sure people are staying fit, eating healthier foods and

are receiving the best health care advice that is possible. The messages of the Healthy Heart

Program have reached across all of New York and they key messages are: be tobacco free, eat

more fruits and veggies, do light exercise for at least 150 minutes a week or intense exercise for

75 minutes a week and for all residents to make sure their blood pressure and cholesterol are in

check with normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels (Cardiovascular Disease, 2012). The

Healthy Heart Program is doing this by creating environments that entice people to be more

active. Examples of this are the Healthy Heart Program creating side walks for people to walk or

bike on, and opening schools after hours for community use. The Healthy Heart Program also

understands that 60 percent of adults are at work all day and may not have time for working out,

so the Healthy Heart Program is funding agencies to implement programs at work like stretching

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

classes, exercise room on site and access to healthier food in vending machines (New York State,

2013). The same is being done with children in school who need more physical activity and

more information about eating healthier. If people living in New York follow the regiment and

ideas of the Healthy Heart Program, it would lead New York to be one of the healthiest states in

the country not only for heart disease but also for many other illnesses. In addition to that being

healthier leads to less depression and less stress. This would lead many individual’s to feel better

their lives.

Since heart disease is such a huge problem in New York it plays a vital role in the

economy. An example of just how large a role heart disease plays on the economy is in 2009

alone heart disease cost the state an estimated $34.7 billion in medical costs and lost productivity

(Million Hearts, n.d.). With outstandingly grotesque numbers like this the economy truly suffers

because most of these are charges are unplanned for and can not be made up for because the

person who suffers a heart attack or stroke usually either dies or suffers irreversible damage to

their body. This causes problems where that person was working and also makes it harder for

companies to stay afloat.

New York seems to be a front-runner in creating new and exciting plans to prevent heart

disease across the United States of America. Heart disease is still the leading killer of males and

females in America, with nearly one in every three deaths being related to stroke or coronary

failure (Vital Signs, 2014). The worst thing about heart disease is that it is totally preventable in

most cases. In fact, according to the CDC at least two hundred thousand deaths from stroke and

heart disease each year are preventable (Vital Signs, 2014). In addition to that, more than half of

preventable deaths that are caused by heart disease and stroke happen to people under the age of

sixty-five (Vital Signs, 2014).

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is such a common disease in the United States that it is having severe

consequences to the economy. To put into perspective just how costly heart disease is to our

nation, Coronary heart disease alone costs $108.9 billion annually (Heart Disease, 2014). This

cost includes health care services, medications, and lost productivity. When you add in strokes

and other forms of heart disease that number balloons to an outrageous $312.6 billion annually

(Frequently Asked, 2013). High medical costs are a major reason why the CDC created and is

funding the State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity

and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health grant. This grant is designed to be a

national program that provides a base level of funding to all 50 states and Washington DC

(CDC’s State, 2014). As a result of this program all states are required to put into effect new

initiatives that are expected to lower the effects of all of the diseases mentioned in the grant. Two

examples of the initiatives are, promote the adoption of food service guidelines and nutrition

standards, which include sodium and to promote awareness of high blood pressure among

patients (CDC’s State Public, 2014). A grant as complex as this one can quickly become very

expensive but in the long run the CDC and the government believe that the positive outcomes

will greatly outweigh the negatives ones. Heart disease is one of numerous diseases that weigh

heavily on the economy of the United States. If you were to add up the amount of money that

diseases cost the United States annually in medical related costs the number would be well over a

trillion dollars. This is part of the reason why President Obama introduced the Affordable Care

Act to attempt to subdue the rising costs associated to heart disease and the hundreds of other

diseases plaguing the United States.

In the United States there are many social and cultural start-ups to combat heart disease.

These programs are important because they help to spread the word in many communities of the

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

effects of heart disease and how people can prepare for the worst such as severe cardiac trauma

like a heart attack. One such program is the WISEWOMAN program. This program is important

because it provides low-income, under-insured or uninsured woman with chronic disease risk

factor screening, lifestyle programs, and referral services in an attempt to stymie heart disease

(WISEWOMAN, 2013). The WISEWOMAN program saves many lives because it gives woman

learning tools and treatment that they normally wouldn’t receive. Another program that aids in

the prevention of heart disease in the United States is the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke

Registry. The National Acute Stroke Registry program is important because it keeps track of

strokes on a state-to-state level. The data that is collected is then used to attempt to provide

stroke victims with the best care available, while also having a long term goal of diminishing the

amount of strokes in the United States by preventing strokes in the first place through scientific

study and research. The National Acute Stroke Registry was put into motion by the U.S.

congress in the year 2001, this is a perfect example of how the government is trying to

implement certain programs to decrease heart disease numbers across the United States (CDC

State Heart, 2013). One other program that can have a vital role in lessening the amount of

deaths related to heart disease in the United States is the Million Hearts Program. This program

is intended to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by the year 2017. The Million Hearts

program believes that it can lower the rates of heart disease by bring together campaigns, such as

better education and implementing policies such as the teaching of the “ABCS” of clinical

prevention. The “ABCS” are appropriate aspirin therapy, blood pressure control, cholesterol

management and smoking cessation (Million Hearts, 2014). This program is ambitious but with a

rising support across the nation saving one million lives doesn’t seem like such an unattainable

number. Finally, May is high blood pressure month across the nation, so people are encouraged

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

to get screened by their doctor (Power Down, 2014). This is important because high blood

pressure is a silent killer and should not be taken lightly.

With the combined efforts of the people who live in the United States and even more

attention than ever before from the United States government to halt heart disease, it finally feels

like the United States is on the path to success. An example of this strong effort are heavy

sanctions of tobacco and cigarettes brought down by the government to attempt to decrease heart

disease deaths related to first and second hand smoke (Smoking Bans, 2014). This is important

because the government knows that if they can successfully cut a large chunk of deaths caused

by heart disease it will relieve some of the economic stress and tension that has been created due

to rising health care costs. The United States has always been one of the leaders in the

development and implementation of strategies to fight any threats facing our country, near or far.

While people have been focused on wars for many decades it’s about time that the focus shifted

to saving the lives of the citizens of the United States, and only time will tell if we are successful

as a nation.

One thing is for sure, the United States will never give up until the prevention and

treatment of heart disease is above and beyond where it is now and it meets or matches the

efforts of other countries across the world. Whether you live in a developed country or an

undeveloped country there is a high chance that heart disease has altered the life of someone you

have had personal relations with. In fact, according to the WHO, sixty percent of the global

burden of coronary heart disease occurs in developed nations (Global burden, 2014). Therefor,

you can see that even with the education and resources of developed countries, there is still a

tremendous amount of effort that needs to be taken to strengthen the knowledge of people on

ways to tackle heart disease across the world. Since science and medicine are always getting

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

better, our understanding of heart disease is changing all the time. We will not be able to stop the

loss of life from heart disease unless there are positive political influences. In addition to that,

there must be an agenda to increase social awareness of heart disease especially in

underdeveloped countries. Plus, economics come into play when you’re dealing with such a

costly and straining disease that has an effect on all different types of demographics.

There are many political movements across the world to stop the spread of coronary heart

disease. These movements are designed by the government to protect the lives of the people of

their respective countries. Many of these policies and procedures have had a positive impact on

the prevention of coronary heart disease. An example of one of these regulations is the banning

of smoking in workplaces. Some countries that have banned smoking in workplaces across the

world are Brazil, the Russian Federation, and India. Countries like the United States, China and

Australia have smoking restrictions in workplaces (Policies and Legislation, 2014). This is

important because smoking is one of the leading causes of coronary heart disease across the

world. In addition to that, another political movement is the WHO Framework Convention on

Tobacco Control, this is the first international convention that relates specifically to heart

disease. Once 40 countries ratify the convention it will become a legally binding treaty among

those countries. The convention includes clauses on advertising bans, smoke-free areas, health

warnings and smuggling. Additionally there are many countries that have national plans to deal

with cardiovascular disease prevention (Policies and legislation, 2014). Fifty percent of

European countries have plans, which is among the highest across the world. Especially when

compared to Africa, where only eight percent of countries have a national plan. This shows that

there is much work that still needs to be done in underdeveloped countries to protect against

heart disease. Finally, most regions of the world have tobacco, and food and nutrition legislation.

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

In South-East Asia eighty-nine percent of countries have food and nutrition legislation, while in

the Americas only sixty-six percent of countries have food and nutrition legislation. This shows

that there can still be a lot of improvement when it comes to legislating food and nutrition to

prevent cardiovascular disease. Once again Africa is the lowest region with only twenty-two

percent tobacco legislation and only forty-three percent food and nutrition legislation (Policies

and legislation, 2014). Legislation is necessary to stop heart disease but in places like Africa it is

harder to create laws because of corrupt governments and a poor economic structure. This is why

the WHO and other organizations are trying their best to bring knowledge of diseases like heart

disease to these types of countries

As far as demographics go coronary heart disease affects people of all different ages,

races and genders. That’s not to say there aren’t certain groups that have been shown to be

affected more through studies. Recent studies show that in developed countries people who have

lower incomes or a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to suffer from coronary heart

disease. This is also true for high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes. The reasons for this

could be due to stress, finding it harder to receive access to health care, and lifestyle (Risk factor,

2014). Studies also show that in countries like Trinidad and Tobago, there’s a correlation

between women aged twenty-four through eighty-five who have high blood pressure and

extremely low incomes (Risk factor, 2014). This shows that high blood pressure has the same

effect on people of lower socioeconomic status in Africa, which is an underdeveloped nation, as

it does on people living in the United States, which is a developed nation. Finally, in Canada,

children who come from low-income families are twice as likely to be obese when compared to

wealthy families (Risk factor, 2014). The fact that countries all across the world have similar

patterns and problems shows that having exposure to health care is necessary to preventing heart

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

disease. This is why governments have to make health care more accessible to people who have

all different types of socioeconomic status’s and not just wealth or middle class families.

Economics also play a gigantic role when it comes to cardiovascular disease. Globally

between four and five percent of all medical costs are spent on diabetes related illnesses

(Economic costs, 2014). Diabetes is of course one of the main contributing factors to heart

disease. In Singapore, the average hospital costs for stroke were $5,000 (Economic costs, 2014).

While in the United Kingdom they spend over four billion dollars annually to fight obesity

(Economic costs, 2014). No matter where you go in the world countries are struggling to fight

heart disease and closely related illnesses. This is why medical costs need to be lowered in order

to help people maintain their normal lives. Also more steps need to be taken to make sure future

generations don’t have the same health problems that current generations are fighting now. Only

eight percent of published cardiovascular research is from developing countries (Research,

2014). This is definitely not enough, since these are the countries that are expanding and

becoming developed countries in the near future.

At the end of the day there is still a ton of research that needs to be done. People need to

take the necessary steps to prevent the signs of heart disease, like diabetes, high blood pressure,

stress and high cholesterol. Their will most likely never be a flat out cure for heart disease, which

is why every government across the world has to rethink their stance on heart disease and think

about the future to protect their citizens. Governments need to look into more effective ways to

get their points across to make sure that people understand that heart disease is very deadly. In

the next twenty years it is definitely possible to cut the numbers of heart disease related deaths

by a substantial number if nations come together and work towards a common cause, which is to

stop cardiovascular disease.

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Running Head: Cardiovascular Disease

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