The REAL Guide to Heart Disease
A heart attack is the most common cause of death in the United States. Every minute of the day someone dies from a heart attack It remains the #1 cause of death in the United States, killing about half a million people each year. Coronary heart disease used to be thought of as a disease of the middle aged and the elderly. Over the last twenty years it has become increasingly clear that atherosclerosis damage to the heart arteries -- begins in childhood. Now is the best time to make changesWhat is Heart Disease
There are many types of heart disease. About 25% of all Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease.The major types of heart disease are atherosclerosis, coronary, rheumatic, congenital, myocarditis, angina and arrhythmia.
Heart disease can arise from congenital defects, infection, narrowing of the coronary arteries, high blood pressure, or disturbances.
The first stages of heart disease are lesions and cracks forming in the blood vessel walls normally at the points of highest pressure or stress (near the heart). The second stage is the body trying to repair itself by depositing fatty substances (cholesterol, lipoproteins) inside the blood vessels to fill the cracks.
Over time, without the proper body nutrient, vitamin C, to help keep the blood vessel walls from cracking and requiring constant repair, these fatty substances can begin to build up and clog the blood vessels causing stroke and heart attack
A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction or an MI. Myocardial refers to the myocardium, the heart muscle. Infarction is tissue death due to a local lack of oxygen
Click Here to learn more about Heart Disease - Heart Disease for Dummies
Early warning Signs
A heart attack occurs when the heart muscle does not get the blood it needs for its nourishment.The heart depends on special blood vessels, called coronary arteries to supply it with nutrition and oxygen. If these arteries become blocked, then the part of the heart that depends on them can become injured. A permanent injury to the heart muscle is called a heart attack.
Early treatment is crucial for heart attack victims. Prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, can save a life. Quick treatment with drugs that break up blood clots can greatly improve a person's chance of surviving a heart attack. Since early treatment makes a difference, it is important to know the early signs of a heart attack.
Signs of a heart attack may be one or more of the following:
Discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath, which often comes with chest discomfort but can occur before the chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
What Causes a Heart Attack?
The most common cause of heart attack is the sudden blockage of one of the heart's arteries by a blood clot. These clots typically form in arteries that are already affected by atherosclerosis - that is, the arteries are narrowed by fatty deposits of plaque and other materials.Click Here to read the Seven Steps to a Healthy Heart
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
The National Heart Attack Alert Program notes these major signs of a heart attack:Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
Shortness of breath. Often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
Other symptoms. May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness
Heart Disease Prevention and Cure
Some forms of heart disease can be prevented.To prevent coronary heart disease, one must exercise consistently, have a low salt and low fat diet, restrain from smoking and lose a couple of pounds if overweight.
Healthy diets also help prevent heart disease
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What are the risk factors for heart disease
There are a number risk factors for heart disease. These include:Obesity - This can be treated through proper diet and exercise. Your doctor can help you develop a plan that works for you.
Diet - The U.S. Department of Agricultural guidelines recommend two to three servings of fruits and three to five servings of vegetables each day. Also, watch dietary cholesterol intake.
Red meat has much more cholesterol than fish or skinless chicken. Aim to decrease your consumption of red meat. There is increasing evidence that fish may be your healthiest option. Certain fish contain a polyunsaturated fatty acid, called omega-3.
Inactivity - Physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are risk factors for heart disease. The NHLBI suggests most people try to get 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Check with your doctor to assess risk factors for heart attack before starting any type of physical program.
Family History - Anyone with a family history of heart disease needs to have a thorough cardiology exam so a personalized heart disease prevention program can be implemented.
Diabetes - A complication of diabetes is heart disease. Studies show that long-term control of blood sugar can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems down the road. Patients with diabetes are urged to talk to their physician about cardiovascular disease.
Hormones - Women rarely experience heart attacks before menopause. Researchers believe that estrogen offers some protection against the blood vessel blockage that causes heart attacks and strokes. But new research suggests that estrogen replacement therapy is not as protective as once thought. Certainly, hormone replacement isnt for everyone women need to discuss the benefits and risks with their physician.
Y! Health Heart & Vascular Health News
- Cancer to Surpass Heart Disease as World's Leading Killer (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- By 2010, cancer will be the leading killer in the world, surpassing heart disease, causing more deaths than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. - Cancer to pass heart disease as No. 1 killer (Reuters)
Reuters - Cancer is on pace to supplant heart disease as the No. 1 cause of death worldwide in 2010, with a growing burden in poor countries thanks to more cigarette smoking and other factors, global health experts said on Tuesday. - Women's Death Rate Higher From Severe Heart Attack (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women who suffer the most severe form of heart attack are twice as likely as men to die in the hospital, a new study finds. - Study: Gender gap remains for heart attack care (AP)
AP - Women hospitalized with heart attacks still don't get the treatment they need and are more likely to die than men if they suffer a massive heart attack, a new study of U.S. hospitals shows. - Heart attack patients get 'big chill' treatment (AP)
AP - It took five mighty shocks to get Cynthia Crawford's heart to start beating again after she collapsed at Ochsner Clinic a few weeks ago. - Rapid Response Teams Don't Cut Hospital Heart Attacks, Death
Rates (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital rapid response teams, created to prevent cardiac arrest and deaths in critically ill patients, do not seem to work, a new study finds. - Gene "silencing" drug blocks heart disease in mice (Reuters)
Reuters - An international research team has identified a tiny piece of genetic material that plays a key role in heart failure, and shown how an experimental compound prevents the condition in mice, scientists reported on Sunday. - Treating depression seen important in heart failure (Reuters)
Reuters - Depression increases the risk of death in patients with heart failure, but the risk apparently disappears with antidepressant use, according to a study. - Bad Bosses Are Hard on the Heart (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Nov. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Burdened by an overbearing boss? Your heart may pay the price, according to new research. - Depression's Behavior Changes Linked to Heart Risks (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Nov. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Negative changes in health behaviors are a major reason why heart patients with depression have an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, say U.S. researchers who followed 1,017 outpatients with stable coronary heart disease for an average of 4.8 years.
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