Image courtesy of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA)

About 610,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control). The top chronic diseases have a link to high sugar consumption.

An illness is chronic when it continues for a long time or constantly reappears. NBA Player Sean Rooks, rhythm and blues artist Otis Clay, TV sitcom fame Alan Thicke, Star Wars Carry Fisher, and many others died in 2016 from heart disease.

Heart disease is an umbrella term for any type of disorder that affects the heart. Heart disease means the same as cardiac disease but not cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease refers to disorders of the blood vessels and heart, while heart disease refers to just the heart, as stated by to Medical News Today’s (MNT) Heart Disease: Definition, Causes, Research.

In the U.S. the data showed:
• cardiovascular diseases claimed 801,000 lives;
• heart disease killed more than 370,000 people;
• stroke killed nearly 129,000 people;
• about 116,000 of the 750,000 people in the U.S. who had a heart attack died;
• about 795,000 people had a stroke, the leading preventable cause of disability;
• among African-Americans adults, 48 percent of women and 46 percent of men have some form of cardiovascular disease;
• and African-Americans have nearly twice the risk for a first-ever stroke than whites, according to the American Heart Association News.

An ideal situation in modern society is for it to change once a fact has been confirmed about harmful behaviors and to follow what produces better outcomes for life. But it can also be negated when millions of dollars and time are spent that promote the perpetuation of harmful behavior. Deadly and harmful, but usually unnoticed conditions until the harm is physiologically felt, is usually the result for many.

Results of this fact finding investigation are more than alarming. Government agencies are condemning sugar but the public isn’t responding. Sugar is killing us states Dr. Hyman, author of “The Blood sugar solution 10-day detox diet.”

A sugar-laden diet may raise your risk of dying of heart disease even if you aren’t overweight. So says a major study published in JAMA Internal Medicine., according to a report done by Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the media and publishing division of the Harvard Medical School of Harvard University.
HHP also says, added sugars make up at least 10% of the calories the average American eats in a day. But about one in 10 people get a whopping one-quarter or more of their calories from added sugar.

Over the course of the 15-year study on added sugar and heart disease, participants who took in 25% or more of their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets included less than 10% added sugar.

Overall, the odds of dying from heart disease rose in tandem with the percentage of sugar in the diet—and that was true regardless of a person’s age, sex, physical activity level, and body-mass index (a measure of weight).
Sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks are by far the biggest sources of added sugar in the average American’s diet. They account for more than one-third of the added sugar we consume as a nation. Other important sources include cookies, cakes, pastries, and similar treats; fruit drinks; ice cream, frozen yogurt and the like; candy; and ready-to-eat cereals.

A new study from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reveals diets that are high in sugar are a major risk factor for certain types of cancers, especially breast cancer, according to a Fox News report.
Some solutions are to drink more water and less sugar added drinks. Clean your kitchen of sugar added foods. Satisfy sugar cravings with naturally sweet fruits as opposed to processed foods. Do some research there is a wealth of information on the subject. Listen to a multitude of experts like the Center for Disease Control (CDC), The American Heart Association (AHA) and your doctor, and other experts on the matter.

Attend Strategic Human Services Raising Awareness to Promote Good Health Events. Two are scheduled, Monday February 13, 2017 11-3pm and Saturday March 25 11-3pm. Healthy food and drink alternatives will be served. The event will be held at 325 S California Ave at the Westside Baptist Ministers Conference Building