Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists. And while major advances have been made in treatment, half of all heart disease is preventable with low- tech changes in lifestyle. Nearly 60 million Americans suffer from the build up of blockages in the arteries of the heart which can ultimately lead to a heart attack. In 1997, heart disease accounted for 41 percent of all deaths, killing almost one million Americans. Not a man's disease People generally consider heart disease a man's disease, but experts say that is untrue.
Medical records show women are more likely to die from heart disease.
About 38 percent of women will die from a heart attack, compared with 25 percent of men. Stoke is a close relative to heart disease and the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is generally caused by a blockage or other problem in a blood vessel leading to the brain. Despite many effective drugs, only about a quarter of those with high blood pressure actually control the condition with medication. Uncontrolled hypertension is one example of what concerns heart doctors most.