The leading cause of death globally is cardiovascular disease (CVD), responsible for 19.8 million deaths in 2022, representing 32% of all deaths. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes a range of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, including:

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): Occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by plaque, often leading to chest pain or heart attacks. 

Heart Failure: The heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, resulting in fatigue and shortness of breath. 

Heart Arrhythmias: Irregular heartbeats, which can feel like a fluttering or racing heart, or a slow heartbeat. 

Heart Valve Problems: The heart valves can have issues like stenosis (not opening enough) or regurgitation (not closing properly), which disrupts normal blood flow. 

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Damages blood vessels over time, significantly increasing the risk for other cardiovascular problems. 

Stroke: Occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either by a blockage or a ruptured blood vessel. 

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD): A condition affecting blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. 

Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Department of Cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute in Los Angeles, refers to recent findings showing that heart attack deaths among young people have spiked in the U.S. Cheng said that the connection between COVID-19 and heart attack deaths was “more than coincidental.”

Common risk factors of CVD include:

•    High blood pressure
•    High cholesterol
•    Diabetes
•    Tobacco use (including vaping)
•    Obesity or being overweight
•    Physical inactivity
•    Unhealthy diet high in sodium, sugar, and fat
•    Excessive alcohol use. 
 

Heart Facts:

Your heart is vital for life. Its parts work together to constantly pump blood, that carries both oxygen and nutrients to your cells and takes away waste.

1.         Is the heart a muscle or an organ?

The heart is both a muscle and an organ. 

The heart is primarily composed of cardiac muscle tissue, designed specifically for pumping blood. This tissue contracts rhythmically to pump blood throughout the body. 

The heart is also considered an organ because it is a complex structure made up of multiple tissues working together to perform a specific function. 

The average adult heart weighs between 9 and 12 ounces, and pumps approximately 5-6 liters of blood per minute at rest. This is known as cardiac output. Cardiac output can vary depending on factors such as age, fitness level, and activity level. During strenuous exercise, the heart pumps up to 30-40 liters of blood per minute in elite athletes and up to 25 liters per minute in average, healthy individuals.

Women’s hearts are generally smaller and beat faster than men’s hearts. 

2.         How many chambers and valves does the heart have? 

Your heart has four chambers and four valves.

The heart chambers are four hollow spaces within your heart. Your chambers work together to manage your heartbeat. They also send blood to the cells and into your lungs to gain oxygen that is then recirculated throughout your body. As your heart pumps blood, four valves open and close to make sure blood flows in the correct direction. 

Your heart also:

•    Controls the rhythm and speed of your heart rate.

•    Maintains your blood pressure.

•    Nervous system: Your nervous system helps control your heart rate. It sends signals that tell your heart to beat slower during rest and faster during stress.

•    Endocrine system: Your endocrine system sends out hormones. These hormones tell your blood vessels to constrict or relax, which affects your blood pressure. Hormones from your thyroid gland can also tell your heart to beat faster or slower.
 

3.          Are heart attacks more common in men than in women?

For every 100 heart attacks, approximately 70 occur in men and 30 in women. Although men experience more heart attacks, women are more likely to die from a heart attack.  This is often due to the following factors:

•    Women are likely to be on average 10 years older than men at the time of their heart attack, usually an average age of 72 years versus 61 for the men.

•    Women tend to have more complicated medical histories at the time of their heart attacks, including high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

•    Women are generally seen less frequently in the hospital by a cardiovascular specialist: 72.8% versus 84% for men.

4.         Can you die of a broken heart?

Yes, you can die from a broken heart, but it is rare with the mortality rate being estimated at between 2% and 5%. 

This condition is medically known as stress-induced cardio-myopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It is brought on by severe emotional or physical stress that causes a temporary weakening of the heart muscle. 

Dr Sunil Shah of St George's at the University of London, explains: "We often use the term a 'broken heart' to signify the pain of losing a loved-one and our study shows that bereavement can have a direct effect on the health of the heart."

What is "broken heart syndrome"?

Cause: 

It is triggered by a sudden rush of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, which can stun the heart muscle. 

Symptoms: 

It mimics a heart attack, causing symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeats. 

Difference from a heart attack: 

Unlike a traditional heart attack caused by blocked arteries, broken heart syndrome involves a temporary weakening of the heart muscle without blockages. 

Recovery: 

Most people recover with no long-term damage. 

Stem Cell Patch Shows Promise for Heart Repair - No Surgery Required

This month, Cardiovascular Business (Publication November 2025) released findings on how a new stem cell patch is aimed at healing the heart. 

The stem cell patch is implanted through a tiny incision, making open-heart surgery unnecessary, and then held in place with a biocompatible adhesive. It then helps the heart recover over time, replacing dead tissue that would typically never be able to regenerate. The early findings are very positive, showing the patch improved heart function and reduced both scarring and inflammation. This approach is now set to be fine-tuned and tested on human subjects. 

“For patients with severe heart failure, there are very few options beyond mechanical pumps or transplants,” senior author Wugiang Zhu, PhD, a researcher with Mayo Clinic in Arizona, said in a statement. “We hope this approach will offer a new way to repair their own hearts.”

Zhu’s team envision a future where patients receive engineered heart tissue made from their very own reprogrammed cells. This means the patient could fully recover after undergoing only a simple, minimally invasive procedure with no donated heart required.  

Stem Cell Worx will continue to keep you informed about the latest breakthroughs in health and stem cell innovation.

References:

https://cardiovascularbusiness.com/

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/covid-19-surges-linked-to-spike-in-heart-attacks/

https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html