Coronary heart disease (CHD)
Symptoms: Typically, warning signs for CHD are chest pain under the sternum (usually in association with exertion or stress) or atypical chest pain, which can occur in the left chest, back, arm or abdomen, as well as shortness of breath. In some cases, you won’t know you have this disease until you have a heart attack.

Description: Also known as coronary artery disease, this ailment usually descends when the arteries narrow as a result of a buildup of plaque and fat. A reduced diameter equals reduced blood flow to the heart. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women. Risk factors for CHD include family history, high blood pressure, diabetes, and unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as lack of exercise, obesity and smoking.

Treatment window: Since many of the key risk factors for CHD are associated with lifestyle choices, it stands to reason that keeping tabs on your health will play a major role in keeping the disease under control. Reducing the amount of “bad” fats, such as saturated fats, cholesterol and trans-fatty acids may be successful treatments, as well as reducing sodium, getting regular exercise and quitting smoking. Medication such as blood-thinning drugs, beta-blockers (to lower blood pressure) and calcium-channel blockers (to relax the arteries in the body) may also be employed.

Cirrhosis
Symptoms: Leg swelling, confusion, jaundice, red, spider-like blood vessels on the skin, weakness, and weight loss can all point to cirrhosis.

Description: Think of your liver as your own personal blood filter. Not only does it help fight infections and digest food, the liver helps clean the blood of harmful agents. Cirrhosis, caused by chronic liver disease, develops when scar tissue builds up on the organ, which hampers its functioning. Cirrhosis is often associated with alcoholism, although hepatitis B and other ailments can cause the disease. At its most severe, cirrhosis can lead to kidney failure and the need for a liver transplant.

Treatment window: There’s no cure for cirrhosis, but you can prevent further liver damage by nixing alcohol and taking medications. In severe cases, you may need a liver transplant.
raising a red flagIf you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, don’t let fear get the best of you. Have it checked out sooner rather than later. Just like that office chair with the wonky wheel you’ve been too lazy to fix, you don’t want your first health wake-up call to be when it all goes crashing to the ground.

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