coronary artery disease Archives

Heart to Heart Talks: Inspire Members and Heart Disease
Patient communities, Patient insights, Patient stories, Patient-centered healthcare

Heart to Heart Talks: Inspire Members and Heart Disease

Heart to Heart Talks: Inspire Members and Heart Disease By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD, MSPH Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US among men and women, and for most racial and ethnic groups. Responsible for one in four deaths every year, more people die of heart disease than they do of cancer.1 “Heart disease” is a general category, but the most common kind of heart disease in the US, coronary artery disease (CAD), accounts for over half of the fatalities. CAD killed 365,914 people in 2017. Twenty percent of those who die of CAD [...]

Video Vignettes: Through Their Own Eyes: Heart Bypass Surgery

Video Vignettes: Through Their Own Eyes: Heart Bypass Surgery Our hearts start to beat at around a month and a half into pregnancy.1 We may take its constancy for granted until something goes wrong. Worldwide, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death with 17.7 million deaths each year.2 Coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease in the US, is caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. These arteries narrow and blood flow to the muscle of the heart is blocked. Heart or chest pain, called angina, and [...]

Video Vignettes: Through Your Own Lens – Living With Invisible Disease

Video Vignettes: Through Your Own Lens - Living With Invisible Disease Looking "well" is a common challenge among people who live with invisible illnesses and chronic disease. Some call themselves “spoonies”: people who hear “but you don’t look sick” throughout their lives, while actually managing serious illness. The term “spoonie” comes from a blog post written in 2010 by Christine Miserandino called The Spoon Theory.1 In this post, Miserandino, who has lupus, described how she was able to help her best friend understand life with a chronic illness. To tell the story briefly: Holding 12 spoons, Christine [...]