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Cardiovascular disease or CVD refers to diseases of the blood vessels to the heart (heart attack, CHF), brain (stroke, TIA), or other organs (peripheral artery disease, aortic aneurysms). CVD is usually due to accumulation of cholesterol plaque and inflammation. The most common cause of death from CVD is from heart disease, and we sometimes use the terms heart disease and CVD interchangeably.CVD claims the lives of 1 in 3 women in the United States and globally. That is more deaths than from all forms of cancer combined.CVD doesn’t happen all of a sudden. It starts young in life, with fatty streaks depositing in children who eat Western style foods. It is usually without symptoms until later in life. But when kids develop obesity, elevated lipids, or diabetes, it is a sign that heart disease is in process.Sometimes CVD first shows itself during pregnancy, when early CVD can manifest with preterm birth, miscarriage, or still birth. Some conditions during or shortly after pregnancy are harbingers for greater risk of future CVD: gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia. Pregnancy can be thought of as an early stress test of your heart, and any of these signs can signify likely early CVD.What causes CVD? The main causes of CVD in women and men are high blood lipids and cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood glucose, obesity, inflammation, and toxins like tobacco. Your genes play a role and if you have a lot of CVD in your close relatives, you may have extra risk yourself. Most people are not aware that you can change your genetics! Health lifestyle behaviors can literally turn on healthier genes and turn off unhealthy genes. Fortunately, CVD can be prevented and even reversed at almost any stage of a girl's or woman's life. How can I do that you ask?
