Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is very common in America. So common, in fact, that CVD is the leading cause of death in our country. According to the American Heart Association, approximately 81.1 million adults in the U.S. have one or more types of CVD. That means that a little more than one out of every three American adults is suffering from the condition.

There are several types of CVD, including hypertension (high-blood pressure), coronary heart disease and heart failure. Of the many risk factors associated with CVD, age is one of the most important. Of the number of Americans with CVD, about 40.4 million are of age 60 or older. That equates to nearly half of all incidences of CVD. Mortality rates are similarly high - statistics show that in over 33 percent of all U.S. deaths in 2007, CVD was the underlying cause of death.