Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1444917
4 | Health Matters: Providence Holy Cross Medical Center T here has never been a more important time to focus on heart health. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for more than a third of all deaths worldwide, and heart disease in particular remains the No. 1 cause of death in America. In fact, recent data (from Health Metrics and Evaluation and Think Global Health) ranked heart disease as the leading global killer, accounting for 15.2 million deaths in 2020. There is good news, however. Experts say most cardiovascular disease (also referred to as coronary artery disease) can be controlled, and often reversed, through detection and by adopting healthy lifestyle choices. For instance, managing stress, regular exercise, better sleep and nutritional dietary choices significantly lower CVD risk. Chronic levels of stress and anxiety have been found to have a direct correlation with heart disease, diabetes, stroke and increased blood pressure rates. Why? Because stress pushes the body to release cortisol, epinephrine and glucagon—also known as the fight-or-flight hormones—into our bloodstream. Surges of these hormones, especially epinephrine, can damage blood vessels and arteries, increase blood pressure and raise the risk of heart attack or stroke. Elevated cortisol levels increase appetite while also causing a buildup of fat tissue and the storage of unused nutrients, leading to weight gain. "Obesity is a major risk factor for CVD," American Heart Health Month February is the official month, but you should be focused on heart health every day.