Though there are many chronic diseases that can increase the risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes are two of the most common—and often co-morbid—risk factors. For this reason, it is highly encouraged that patients diagnosed with these conditions are aware of the risks and understand the effects on their heart health.

Hypertension / High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing stress to the muscle and causing the heart to function abnormally, increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure.¹  Alongside obesity, smoking and/or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke is even higher.¹

• Nearly half of all adults in the United States have hypertension²
• Roughly 1 in 4 hypertensive patients are untreated and in need of care³
• 54% of strokes, and 47% of coronary artery diseases are attributable to hypertension⁴

Diabetes

Diabetes seriously increases the risk of heart disease. Even when glucose levels are under control, diabetes may still put the heart at risk of heart attack or stroke. The risk is even higher if glucose levels are not well controlled.⁴

• People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times likely to develop heart disease⁵
• When diabetes and hypertension co-exist, the risk of heart disease doubles⁶
• 65% of patients of diabetes will die from some sort of heart disease or stroke⁷

References

[1] American Heart Association. Understand Your Risks to Prevent a Heart Attack. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/understand-yourrisks-to-prevent-a-heart-attack [2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts About Hypertension. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm [3] Million Hearts 2022. Estimated Hypertension Prevalence, Treatment, and Control Among U.S. Adults. https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/data-reports/hypertension-prevalence.html [4] Wu, C. Y., Hu, H. Y., Chou, Y. J., Huang, N., Chou, Y. C., & Li, C. P. (2015). High Blood Pressure and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortalities in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Medicine, 94(47), e2160. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000002160 [5] Johns Hopkins Medicine. Diabetes and Heart Disease. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/diabetes/diabetes-and-heart-disease [6] Grundy, S.M., Benjamin, I. J., Burke, G. L., Chait, A., Eckel, R.H., Howard, B. V., Mitch, W., Smith, S. C., Sowers, J. R. (1999). Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation, 100, 10. https://www.ahajournals.org doi/10.1161/01.CIR.100.10.1134 [7] Web MD. Heart Disease and Diabetes. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/heart-blood-disease

Cancer care saves lives. However, there is mounting evidence that many cancer therapies may cause cardiotoxicity—a condition that causes heart dysfunction and damages the heart over time. Cardiotoxicity may continue to affect the heart long after a patient has entered remission. As a result, cancer survivors may be at an increased risk of developing heart disease.

• 30 - 40% of cancer survivors will suffer from progressive heart disease; 1 in 10 will suffer an adverse cardiac event¹
  
• Cancer patients 55 and younger are 10 times more likely to experience an adverse cardiac event²
• Cancer recurrence is 59% more likely in cancer patients who have had a cardiac event³

References

[1] European Society of Cardiology (2019). Cancer patients are at higher risk of dying from heart disease and stroke. https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Cancer-patients-are-at-higher-risk-of-dying-from-heart-disease-and-stroke. [2] American Cancer Society (2020). Protect Your Heart During Cancer Treatment. https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/protect-your-heart-during-cancer-treatment.html [3] Bankhead, C. (2020). MI May Fuel Breast Cancer Recurrence, Mortality. Medpage Today. https://www.medpagetoday.com/hematologyoncology/breastcancer/87603?vpass=1

There is growing consensus among the leading medical societies that COVID-19 may be linked to heart damage. A recent study has shown signs of heart damage in 3 of 4 recovered COVID patients, including those who were asymptomatic or who had no known underlying condition. This evidence suggests that recovered COVID patients may also be at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which can eventually lead to heart failure.¹

• 78% of recovered COVID patients showed signs of heart damage¹
  
• 60% of recovered COVID patients had myocardial inflammation²
  
• 25% of COVID patients experience long-lasting symptoms including chest pain, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, all of which may be symptoms of heart disease³

References

[1] Walter, M. (2020). 78% of COVID-19 patients show signs of heart damage after recovery. Cardiovascular Business. https://www.cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/covid-19/78-covid-19-patients-heart-damage-recovery [2] Puntmann, V. O., Carerj, M. L., Wieters, I., Fahim, M., Arendt, C., Hoffmann, J., Shchendrygina, A., Escher, F., Vasa-Nicotera, M., Zeiher, A. M., Vehreschild, M., & Nagel, E. (2020). Outcomes of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients Recently Recovered From Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). JAMA cardiology, 5(11), 1265–1273. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2020.3557 [3] Ducharme, J (2021). Almost 25% of COVID-19 Patients Develop Long-Lasting Symptoms, According to a New Report. Time. https://time.com/6073522/long-covid-prevalence/

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, often lowering oxygen levels and stressing the heart mechanically.¹ Patients with sleep apnea face an increased risk of heart disease and other heart-related conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and even sudden cardiac death.²

• It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80% of cases going undiagnosed and untreated³
  
• Sleep apnea increases risk of heart failure by 140%, risk of stroke by 60%, and the risk coronary artery disease by 30%⁴
  
• Patients with sleep apnea are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart arrhythmias⁵

References

[1] (2020). Why Sleep Apnea Raises Your Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-sleep-apnea-raises-your-risk-of-sudden-cardiac-death/ [2] (2020). What you need to know about how sleep apnea affects your heart. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea-and-heart-disease-stroke [3] Sleep Apnea Information for Clinicians. American Sleep Apnea Association. https://www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep-apnea-information-clinicians/ [4] Jean-Louis, G., Zizi, F., Clark, L. T., Brown, C. D., & McFarlane, S. I. (2008). Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease: role of the metabolic syndrome and its components. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 4(3), 261–272. [5] Rob Newsom (2021). Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apnea/sleep-apnea-linked-heart-disease