She had affected to look with some contempt upon the quality of his war ardor and patriotism. The age of technology has made life easier and made people more prone to heart disease. Before 1900, very few people died of heart disease. Since then, heart disease has become the number one killer in the United States. The arrival of automation made life less strenuous.
Transportation is no longer by walking and elevators have replaced stairs.
Most manual labor was either replaced or assisted by machinery. Automobiles, washing machines, elevators, and vacuum cleaners became commonplace. Modern conveniences made physical activity unnecessary. According to the American Heart Association, at least half of the people suffering a heart attack delay seeking help for two hours or more. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have more than twice the risk of heart attack than people who have never smoked.