February Is American Heart Month

Keywords: cardiovascular, health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2008, an estimated 770,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, and about 430,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 26 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one. (CDC)

To ensure safe and coordinated care, people should talk to their health care providers about any CAM therapy that they are currently using or considering. It is important not to replace conventional medical therapy for heart disease with an unproven CAM therapy.

Clinical Trials

• Chelation Therapy Study A large national study of an alternative treatment—chelation therapy and vitamin therapy—for people with heart disease
• Heart and Health Study (fish oil supplements)
• The Effects of Traditional Acupuncture on Mechanisms of Coronary Heart Disease
• Tai Chi Mind-Body Therapy for Chronic Heart Failure
• View ALL NCCAM-sponsored cardiovascular disease–related trials

Selected Publications by NCCAM grantees

NCCAM has funded many basic and clinical studies related to heart disease. These articles are examples of the breadth of research the Center supports. To find more articles by NCCAM grantees, search PubMed.

• Commonly used antioxidant botanicals: active constituents and their potential role in cardiovascular illness
• Green tea as inhibitor of the intestinal absorption of lipids: potential mechanism for its lipid-lowering effect
• Transcendental meditation and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure
• Tea consumption and risk of ventricular arrhythmias among patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction

More Information

• Heart and Vascular Diseases (NHLBI)
• The Heart Truth: Campaign for Women About Heart Disease (NHLBI)
• Heart Disease (CDC)