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Heart Disease »

Heart disease facts

• Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Over a million people each year will have a heart attack and 25% will die before they get to the hospital while or in the Emergency Department.
• Prevention is the key to treatment of heart disease.
• Diagnosis of heart disease is often made by careful history taken by a health care practitioner. Some individuals may have atypical symptoms, including almost none at all.
• The testing strategy to confirm the diagnosis and plan appropriate treatment needs to be individualized for each patient diagnosed with heart disease.
• Treatment of heart disease depends upon the severity of disease, and is often directed by the symptoms experienced by the affected individual.

Introduction to heart disease

The heart is like any other muscle, requiring oxygen and nutrient-rich blood for it t...

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