Incidence of heart diseases which has been declining due to preventive measures is again rising especially among the young, according to several studies in Western countries. Obesity and Diabetes are also major culprits for this rise in heart diseases. Heart diseases are occurring at an alarm rate especially in 35-54 age group due to their lifestyle, smoking and junk food habits. But deaths due to heart diseases are declining in old age people due to better health care services and diagnostic methods. According to an article published in the medical journal “Archives of Internal medicine”, post-mortem reports of people who died due to other causes are showing high incidence of Coronary heart disease (unknown to them). How to prevent Heart disease epidemic: 1. Regular health checkups for everyone aged above 35 years. 2. Stay away from smoking and tobacco chewing. 3. Junk food restaurants are your route to hell. Don’t eat refined foods and fat rich diet. 4. Old age people should take preventive drugs like Statins and aspirin. 5. Control your blood pressure and blood sugar and cholesterol levels. 6. Obesity is the major cause for chronic lifestyle diseases. It also causes cancers. 7. Don’t neglect warning signs like chest pain and breathlessness. Consult your doctor immediately. Governments need to educate people on the harmful effects of smoking and junk food habits. They should ban advertisements on these products. … [Read more...]
Siblings of coronary artery patients are at high risk
The close family members of the people who have coronary artery disease are at risk for coronary artery disease. Brothers and sisters of coronary artery patients are 2.5 times at risk for heart diseases than normal ones. This research study was published in the European Heart Journal. Image courtesy: Siemens Medical division. The close family members of the people who carry abnormality in the left coronary artery are at risk for coronary artery disease. Brothers and sisters of coronary artery patients are 2.5 times at risk for heart diseases than normal ones. This research study was published in the European Heart Journal. 1. First cardiovascular study: Researchers analyzed 1,800 members of families in which two or more people developed coronary artery disease. The scientists found 50% or more narrowing in 12% of family members. 2. Second study: It was done on 1,400 brothers and sisters of people with coronary artery disease for 5 years. According to these German research studies, siblings of coronary disease patients are at 2.5 times more risk than normal siblings. Why left coronary artery is crucial? There are two main coronary arteries in the heart, left and right. It is main artery that supplies 60% heart blood flow. Left coronary artery supplies blood to ventricles and left atrium. Coronary artery disease is accumulation of fat deposits (Atherosclerosis) in the arteries. Around 14 million Americans are suffering from heart disease. How to prevent cardiac diseases in family members? Siblings of cardiac patients should check their heart health regularly as they are at high risk for heart diseases. It is better to undergo screening for heart diseases even though costs are high. According to previous research studies, heart attack also runs in families. We need more studies to give final verdict on the hereditary factor in causing heart diseases in siblings of coronary artery patients. Please share your experiences if any of sibling is suffering from heart disease. … [Read more...]
Heart Diseases world’s largest killer
Heart disease and stroke are responsible for largest number of deaths in the world. Heart diseases kill 17.5 million people in the world. This report was released by World Heart Foundation on September 30, World Heart Day. In India, 70 million people are suffering from heart diseases. Biggest concern is most of these deaths are preventable. Image courtesy: Wellness Evolution. Obesity, Diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, Smoking, lack of physical activity and unhealthy diet habits are major causes for heart diseases. Obesity is gradually attaining epidemic proportions especially in urban areas due to lack of physical activity and junk food habits. Obesity is the major factor for causing type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure. Heart attack is the number one cause of death in diabetic patients. Brisk walking for 35-40 minutes alone saves millions of deaths from heart diseases. Smoking is the number one causative factor for heart diseases and stroke. Fast foods are another major risk factor for heart diseases by increasing bad cholesterol thereby causing clotting in the blood vessels. Contrary to popular belief, 80% of deaths from chronic diseases occur in low and middle class families due to increased health awareness among rich families. Decrease in deaths due to heart ailments is mainly due to better medical treatment and rising health awareness. Increase in physical activity, consuming diet rich in vegetables and fruits and abstaining from smoking will prevent 80% deaths from heart diseases. Please share your opinion on this article. … [Read more...]
Coronary heart disease – Risk Factors, Symptoms and Prevention
Heart disease is a broad term that includes several more specific heart conditions. The most common condition is coronary heart disease (CHD), which occurs, when the coronary arteries, that supply blood to the heart muscle, become hardened and narrowed due to the plaque build- up. Plaques are a mixture of fatty substances including cholesterol and other lipids. Blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart can be reduced or even fully blocked with a growing plaque. What happens in CHD? In some people, the first sign of CHD is heart attack. A person is likely to experience one of the below or all symptoms or signs: 1. Chest discomfort in the form of pain, or uneasiness or tightness or fullness. 2. Shortness of breath. 3. Discomfort in the other areas of the upper body, which include pain in one or both the arms, the back, the neck, the jaw area or in the stomach. 4. Cold sweating 5. Feeling nausea 6. Light-headedness The risk factors for CHD are: 1. High blood pressure 2. Obesity 3. High blood cholesterol levels 4. Alcohol. 5. Tobacco smoking 6. High fat diet 7. Physical inactivity. 8. Stress and strain. Prevention of Coronary heart Disease: 1. Control of cholesterol levels. 2. be physically active 3. Keeping blood sugars under control 4. Diet control 5. Avoid-alcohol, smoking and tobacco use in any other form. 6. Meditation to avoid stress and strain. Bypass surgery: when should be done? It is reported that out of 5 deaths that are occurring daily one is due to heart attack( which is also known as Myocardial infarction). This heart disease is treated either by, Angioplasty or Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and supply to heart is restored. Indications for bypass surgery: 1. When treatment with medicines is not possible, 2. When main coronary artery (which supply blood to heart) on the left side is closed 70% or more. 3. In chronic diabetic patients (for them Angioplasty is not suitable), 4. In those patients, where there is block in the three coronary arteries. Method: Now the latest procedure is “Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting”. In this method there is no necessity to open the heart and with the help of one or two openings operation will be done. It is possible only when there is one block only. But when there are two or more blocks in the arteries, surgeons will do operation in the conventional method by opening the heart. There is no guarantee that heart attack will not reoccur later on once the bypass operation is performed, hence the patient should take the following precautions. Patient should take the drugs regularly and should undergo periodical checkups. He should not carry heavy loads. He/she should avoid constipation and situations that cause stress and strain and also other factors that cause heart attacks. Walking is the best form of exercise. 30-45 minutes of walking is enough. Avoid non- vegetarian food like mutton etc also it is good to take less amount of fats in the diet, Yoga and meditation are good to do but no sexual activity at least for two months after the surgery. If the patient follows the above precautions scrupulously, life span will be prolonged minimum for 10-15 years. … [Read more...]
Atherosclerosis – Pathology and prevention
Atherosclerosis Pathology: Atherosclerosis means there is an obstruction to the flow of blood in big and medium sized vessels walls in the human body due to accumulation of fat patches or plaques. Usually the inner layer of blood vessel is smooth and slippery in nature. If there are creaks in this layer, then fat accumulation beings to form. Blood vessels last their elasticity and become hardened. Body has got its own mechanism for repairing any damaged part in the body. Here the monocytes become active and begin to repair the damaged inner walls and removes the accumulated fat particles. Some times the fat particles have the upper hand over the monocytes. Then these hardened fat particles separate themselves from the wall of the blood vessels and travel in the blood circulation and forms round balls called embolus. It forms at the junction where the blood vessels divide into two branches and obstructs the blood flow. If the obstruction occurs in the coronary blood vessels, the heart-attack occurs. If it occurs in the brain –paralysis (stroke) occurs.Atherosclerosis statistics: The deaths due to Atherosclerosis are 2 times more than the cancer especially in western countries. Risk Factors: 1. Smoking 2. Rise in Blood Cholesterol Level 3. High blood pressure 4. Diabetes 5. Obesity 6. Sedentary life 7. High levels of Homo cysteine in the blood. How can we know this condition of Atherosclerosis? Usually these symptoms appear when the blood vessel is closed up to 70% only. If the blood vessels of heart (coronary vessels) - closes partially – the person gets heart attack. If the openings in the vessels closed completely, there is heart attack or heart failure or changing in the rhythm of heart beatings. If the vessels in the legs are totally closed-we get severe pain in the legs (called intermittent claudication). In the persons beyond 50 years of the age-if the blood flow does not go to kidneys, kidney failure occurs.If there is less oxygen supply to the muscles-we call it as “muscle cry”. How to prevent Atherosclerosis? 1. Avoid smoking, Alcohol and meat. 2. Control Blood cholesterol level and take fat free diet. Stay away from fast foods. 3. Avoid stress and strain. 4. Take soya beans, oatmeal, brawn, Garlic, fish and more vegetables. 5. Garlic: It is called as “old doctor”. It does more benefit of health to the humans. It prevents thickening of blood and blood clots and thus prevents heart diseases. It contains “Alison” a chemical which prevents cancer. Garlic decreases the high blood pressure. It is better to take it in raw form rather than cooked product. 6. Fish: It contains omega-3 fatty acids and also cad liver oil which prevents heart diseases, joint pains and it increases brain activity. The omega 3 fatty acids increase the good cholesterol (HDL), and decreases bad cholesterol (LDL) and thus prevent heart diseases. Most of the heart attacks are preventable with simple measures like diet control and regular exercise. Meditation and Yoga reduce the stress levels. Please share your preventive measures. … [Read more...]
Coronary Heart Disease and Angina
Coronary heart disease leads to heart attack. The coronary arteries have to become reduced in size upto 70% before the signs and symptoms appear in the patient. This disease becomes more advanced in hypertensive and Diabetic patients. Even the obstruction to blood supply occurs up to 60% - 70% in coronary arteries, Heart gets blood supply through collateral routes. This collateral blood supply compensate to some extent. Stages: 1. Dyspnoea (Breathlessness): It is the first stage in heart patients.2. Orthopnoea: Second stage – breathlessness occurs while lying in bed. 3. Dyspnoea in nights: Patient suddenly sits on the bed from sleep due to sudden breathlessness in the middle of the nights. This stage subsides within minutes or continues for few hours. This is called Cardiac Asthma. Angina: There is compressed pain in the chest of the patient. The pain in angina is present in the centre of the chest and behind the bone closely to it. This pain radiates to neck, lower jaw, shoulder, arms, especially to fingers of left hand. Nature of pain:There is feeling of pulling some weight on the chest or sometimes, very light pain. Upper limbs develop numbness and the hand is heavy. Patient is in helpless condition. Angina pain develops while doing labor work and subsides after stopping the work (rest). Angina generally occurs: 1. Cold air 2. After taking meals. 3. after sexual act. 4. In emotions In the early morning – Body unable to start its work. Angina pain may subside in 1-2 minutes or continues for 30 minutes. In heart attack, The pain in chest continue for more than one hour. … [Read more...]
Heart attack – Signs, Symptoms and prevention
Heart attack means death of heart muscle due to loss of blood supply to that heart part mainly due to obstruction in the blood vessel. One million americans are suffered by heart attack every year. Coronart heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in america. Heart attack control is of two types: 1. Possible Control methods: Possible for persons. -Smoking, High blood pressure, High cholesterol level in the blood, Sedentary life style, Irregular and uncontrolled diet habits. 2. Beyond our control: Difficult to avoid. - Males, Age beyond 60 yearsand hereditary. The main cause of obstruction for the free flow of heart is Atherosclerosis – in which fat particles get accumulated in the blood vessels. It takes long time for it to become severe. How to prevent Heart Attacks: Reduce body weight to optimal lavel. Exercise for at least 45 minutes daily. Control your blood pressure and sugar levels. Take fat free diet at regular intervals. Meditate and keep calm under stresful conditions. Checkup your body annually. If Atherosclerosis affects blood vessels, the signs and symptoms of heart disease develop. If the inner gap in the coronary blood vessels is decreased to 30% of the normal size, there is a big obstruction to the blood circulation. It gradually leads to heart attack. Signs and Symptoms of Heart Disease:1. Angina – Pain develops in the chest after exercise and subsides at rest. It occurs in the middle of the heart. It is “Constricting” type. Patient feels heaviness in the chest and somebody bends on their chest and feels as if the chest is breaking away and cries bigger. Pain may radiate to back, checks and left arm. 2. Dyspnoea - Difficulty in breathing. 3. Patient becomes pale with severe sweating in the body. 4. If the above signs may not appear, we may call it as a “Silent heart Attack”. Remember: First 30 minutes are very essential. First 6 hours are crucial. As time progresses, Heart muscle gradually necroses (dies) and irrecoverable. Relatives of cardiac patients should learn about Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Aspirin and Sorbitrate drugs are life savers in this crucial period. Take them immediately after you feel pain. To prevent heart attacks, daily exercises and control in dietary habits are must for every one. If we can reduce the level of Cholesterol by 1%, the danger of occurring of heart attack becomes less by 2%. Every one should check their cholesterol levels annually after 40 years. Type A mentality persons (Highly ambitious people) are at risk for heart attack. Best Diagnostic test to find blocks in the blood vessels is Cardiac CT. It will show blocks in some patients, even though their ECG and ECHO are normal. Please share your experiences. … [Read more...]
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