When you hear the word dehydration, what is the first thought that comes to mind? Probably not heart attacks. However, in 1999 over 530,000 people died from coronary heart “dis-ease” and statistically, over half of them had no previous history or symptoms of these conditions. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, (2002) almost 20 million Americans have such ailments, and the annual cost for treating coronary heart conditions is over $68 billion.
These figures do not include many of the expenses for drugs to lower cholesterol or blood pressure. About 37 million Americans have high blood pressure. To put this into perspective, about 11 million Americans receive cancer care, with an annual cost of $48 billion. Hypertension alone has an annual price tag of $32.5 billion, and this includes $17 billion just for drugs.
There is, however, something very simple we can do for ourselves to cut down on the risk of coronary conditions. According to the study “Water, Other Fluids and Fatal Coronary Disease,” people who drink five or more glasses of plain water a day (not tea, not coffee, not scotch & water!) have a much lower risk of fatal coronary heart disease compared to those who drink less than two glasses per day. The study also shows that by drinking more water, healthy people can reduce their risk of dying from a heart attack by 50% or even more.
This is highly significant, especially when compared to other well-known preventive measures including stopping smoking, lowering cholesterol levels, increasing exercise or maintaining ideal weight. Looked at another way, it’s possible that not drinking enough water can be more harmful than smoking! The study also shows that individuals with high intake (5 or more glasses a day) of fluids other than water showed a greatly increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Symptoms of dehydration generally become noticeable after 2% of one's normal water volume has been lost. Initially one may experience thirst and discomfort, possibly along with loss of appetite and dry skin. Keep in mind that thirst as an indicator of dehydration it is not an early warning sign because by the time you feel thirsty, you might already be dehydrated. Other symptoms of dehydration include: feeling dizzy and lightheaded, having a dry or sticky mouth, producing less urine and darker urine. Athletes may suffer a loss of performance of up to 50%, low endurance, rapid heart rates, elevated body temperatures, rapid onset of fatigue and joint pain.
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