Basic Information: Cardiovascular DiseaseWhat is it?Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of disorders or diseases that involve the heart and blood vessels, or both. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among individuals living in the United States. Some diseases associated with CVD include: coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary embolism (United States National Library of Medicine). Development Cardiovascular disease develops due to a buildup of fatty deposits on the inner walls of blood vessels, which typically develops years to mature (World Health Organization). The development of fatty acid deposits can occur due to an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption. The behavioral risk factors listed above represent approximately 80% of cardiovascular diseases, while the remaining 20% ​​are caused by fixed risk factors (age, sex, race). An unhealthy diet and physical inactivity can cause increased blood pressure, increased glucose levels, increased blood lipids, overweight and obesity in individuals, which puts them at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Unlike behavioral risk factors, which can be controlled or modified, there are fixed risk factors such as race, sex and age that can also contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. Signs and symptoms Often there are no symptoms of the underlying blood vessel disease. In most cases, a heart attack or stroke is the first warning or sign of the underlying disease. Because the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease are not always obvious, it is important to know the symptoms of a heart attack so you can seek immediate medical attention. Second...... half of the document......essor in their life. Finally, an individual may experience a heart attack due to their personality and the way they choose to deal with the conflict in question. Spiritual Throughout history, it appears that medicine and spirituality have been linked in many circumstances. In a study on the use of complementary and alternative therapies in cardiac patients, spiritual healing was one of many practices that patients sought to use. In another study, 29% of participants chose to use prayer or premeditation as a way to cope with their chronic illness. In both studies, prayer or meditation were more likely to be used by individuals who had a large social network, as well as support from another person in the same health situation. Based on these studies, it appears that many individuals (not just cardiovascular patients) turn to spirituality in times of health problems.