February is National Heart Month, and heart health is increasingly important globally with rising cases of heart disease. Heart disease refers to several different types of heart conditions, but one of the most common is coronary artery disease. This affects blood flow to the heart and can ultimately cause myocardial infarction (also known as a heart attack) and angina pectoris. In 2022, approximately 5.5% of people in the US suffered from myocardial infarction and/or angina pectoris, according to forecasts from GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Myocardial infarction occurs when one or more of the coronary arteries become blocked, resulting in a diminished supply of blood to cardiac muscles and causing necrosis of the heart muscle. Blockages are a result of plaques comprised of cholesterol and fat.

Angina pectoris refers to chest pain due to ischemia, or an inadequate supply of blood and oxygen to the cardiac muscles. Angina pectoris denotes the presence of coronary artery disease with an increased risk of myocardial infarction.

Alexandra Murdoch, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The risks associated with heart disease, including but not limited to myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, are severe. People should be aware of the risks and do their best to mitigate them. Some of the key risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking.”

One of the most common treatments for myocardial infarction and angina pectoris is percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). PCI, also known as angioplasty, is a minimally invasive procedure that keeps blocked/clogged arteries open. It does so by improving the oxygen flow to the heart, beginning with the insertion of a catheter through the femoral or radial artery into the coronary arteries to visualize the vessels. Next, a deflated balloon catheter is directed to the blocked area and inflated to open the artery. In addition to balloon angioplasty, there are usually other procedures such as stent implantation and/or atherectomy performed during PCI procedures.

Murdoch continues: “In the US and several European countries, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and most racial and ethnic groups. In Canada, heart disease is the second leading cause of death. Understanding this, we can see why National Heart Month is so important.”

National Heart Month brings awareness to heart disease and its risks and hopefully encourages people to take care of their heart health.