Heart Disease and Associated Problems

To be told you have heart disease can strike fear into anyone hearing it for the first time, however it's not as bad as it sounds.

In this article I am going to explain some of the terms, causes and remedies associated with heart disease.

Heart disease is a general term used to describe several different conditions, all of which are potentially fatal, but are also treatable and/or preventable.

Heart disease is primarily a disease of lifestyle, and is largely preventable through risk factor awareness and modification.

However it is a serious condition and if ignored it is a major cause for heart attacks (myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, stroke, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and ischemia (reduced blood flow).

The most common form of heart disease is coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease

CORONARY
Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease, it is caused by a narrowing or clogging of the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients.

Coronary artery disease and the resulting reduced blood flow to the heart muscle can lead to other heart problems, such as chest pain (angina) and heart attacks myocardial infarction).

The risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those adverse factors that put people at greater risk for heart disease and heart attacks.

CHOLESTEROL
If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, the excess is deposited in arteries, including the coronary arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages that cause the signs and symptoms of heart disease.

High levels of the wrong type of cholesterol (LDL) can be life threatening especially because this type of cholesterol has the capability to choke the arteries and thus cause a heart attack.

What happens is that the levels of the lipoprotein, which is made in the liver and in cells lining blood vessels, rise with things that make heart disease more likely, like smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Conversely the levels fall when patients stop smoking, lose weight and get their cholesterol and diabetes under control.

Cholesterol levels should be less than 5.5. If your cholesterol level is 6.5 mmol/L or greater your risk of heart disease is about 4 times greater than that of a person with a cholesterol level of 4 mmol/L.

The best defense against high cholesterol is simply controlling the risk factors that could lead to coronary artery disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, stress, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and being overweight.

Regular aerobic activities have a good effect on blood vessels and cholesterol.
Dietary aids to lowering cholesterol

1. Reduce cheese intake and/or substitute low fat varieties
2. Choose reduced fat milks
3. Substitute polyunsaturated margarine for butter
4. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove all visible fat
5. Eat skinless chicken, fish or beans
6. Beware of pies, pasties, fish and chips and commercial cakes (hidden fat)
7. Make cakes at home with polyunsaturated fat, cook chips with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oil
8. Lose weight if overweight.

High blood pressure also causes many other types of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke and heart failure.

ARTERIES
Coronary artery diseases are diseases of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood.
If you suffer from CAD it generally means that blood flow through the coronary arteries has become obstructed, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle.

Like any muscle, the heart needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which are carried to it by the blood in the coronary arteries.

When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits (atherosclerosis), the heart cannot get enough and the result is coronary heart disease (CHD).

STROKE
Other cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and rheumatic heart disease. Smoking and uncontrolled high blood pressure are important risk factors for stroke.
Although stroke is highly preventable, certain risk factors such as; family history, age, sex and race can't be controlled.

People with diabetes are also two to four times more likely to die of heart disease and experience stroke.

PREVENTION
Although heart disease is a serious condition that requires constant monitoring, there are many things you can do to reduce your risk for cardiovascular problems and live a full, active life, even if you should suffer a heart attack.

Study results indicate that heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people as in those who exercise regularly.

However studies have also shown that after five years of giving up smoking, the risk of developing heart disease is the same as for someone who never smoked.

As well, if you exercise on a regular basis, the chance of your developing heart disease is about half that of people who do no exercise at all.

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How to Live With Heart Disease

The agony of finding out that you may be suffering from some form of heart disease is usually traumatic. Your doctor has just received the laboratory test results for the battery of tests that you have completed during your recent checkup. From what the results indicate, if you do not stop eating all those fatty foods that you love so much, you are going to require bypass surgery very soon. Do not worry that your quality of life will get worse since there are modern treatment plans that get you on to the road of recovery as long as certain lifestyle changes are made.

Living With Heart Disease
The first consideration when living with heart disease is the type of heart problem you are suffering from. Is your doctor tracking your cholesterol levels? Or, is it something a lot more serious? The severity of your heart condition will shed a great deal of light on the kind of lifestyle you can have when living with heart diseases and how it actually affects you.
If the type of heart problem is currently a very mild form, you should be able to keep a lid on it with medication. But for many people in a state of denial, they will refuse to or do not like taking their medication since they would be admitting to the fact that they are living with the disease.
So if you have heart medication to take for your condition and you are too stubborn to take it, understand the consequences of this action. Is it better to take a couple of pills on a daily basis or would you prefer to have to go to the extent of requiring heart surgery? Surely no one wants to undergo heart surgery. So think carefully before rejecting medication. It is a lot easier to deal with than other more complicated treatment methods.
Getting adequate amount of exercise on a regular basis is another facet of living with heart problem. If the heart problem in your case is of the more serious kind, you may not want to overtax yourself. If you sit still all day long you have a higher risk of getting blood clots. So get off your butt and get some exercise. Start with brisk walking over short distances and gradually build up.
There are some more difficult aspects to living with heart disease. One of them is giving up delicious fatty food and desserts. But then again it all boils down to whether or not you would like to prolong your life. There are trade offs in all situations. Nowadays there are so many more options though. Just a few years ago we could not obtain half the low fat option foods that are available today. Not only are they delicious, they are also healthier options.
Your doctor will be able to provide you with information about heart diseases and the Internet has many reputable websites. Some of the heart health websites host forums where you can communicate with other people suffering from the same disease.
Living with heart disease is really just about taking your prescribed medication, ensuring that you eat in a healthy manner and remaining active. With research you will find all the information you ever need to know to manage your condition better.

The Progress Of Heart Disease Research
Due to the debilitating effects of various forms of heart disease, medical technologists around the world are working towards developing more effective treatment methods through heart disease research.The search for knowledge about what heart disease really is and the pursuit of solutions to use to prevent and treat heart disease is extremely vital. There are many companies and organizations that either conduct heart disease research, or support the cause for heart disease research.

Heart Disease Research Organizations
The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease is a non-profit organization established to raise awareness of and find solutions for prevention of stroke and heart disease. Its reach is worldwide and it concerns itself with all types of heart disease and stroke. The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease designs, implements and evaluates projects that educate people with regards to the risk factors for these illnesses and motivates them to practice good habits in the quest for reducing them.
The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease operates from Buffalo General Hospital. There are several full-time and part-time staff members and they make use of contractors who have a background in communications, health care management and computer programming for heart disease research. During the past ten years of their existence the Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease has built a very good reputation.
Another heart disease research organization is the British Heart Foundation. This organization is considered to be the British nation's heart charity. The British Heart Foundation focuses in particular on three very important issues. They invest in pioneering heart disease research, support and care for heart patients and they provide essential information to assist people to reduce their risk of premature death from heart or circulatory related disease.
Harvard Medical School should also be mentioned. It is a center that concentrates its efforts on heart disease research. Harvard Medical School has been in the heart disease research arena for several decades. They have a vast amount to offer in terms of information and education regarding heart disease: what it is, what its causes are, up-to-date research findings and many statistics.
Research into heart diseases is the only solution that will help to clarify heart related diseases throughout the world today. There is always hope that sometime, preferably in the near future, research will show the way to completely avoid heart related diseases for everyone.

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Dispelling Myths About Heart Disease

Misconceptions about cardiovascular diseases -- heart attacks, stroke and high blood pressure -- have existed for many years and have in effect become myths. Most of them stem from factual observations during the early phase of the current global epidemic and have become deeply rooted in the minds of policymakers, health professionals and the public alike. Since these misconceptions adversely influence the allocation of resources and undermine actions to prevent and control cardiovascular diseases, they need to be firmly squashed.

Myth 1: Heart disease is a problem of developed countries
Every year, cardiovascular diseases cause around 15 million deaths in the world (30% of all deaths), and of these about two-thirds occur in developing countries. So the absolute number of deaths from these causes is twice as high in developing countries as in the industrialized world. Over twice as many deaths from stroke occur in developing countries as in industrialized countries; and the numbers of deaths due to heart attacks are equal in poor and rich countries. It is estimated that in China and India combined, which account for half the population of the developing world, between five and six million deaths are caused each year by cardiovascular diseases.

Myth 2: Heart disease is a problem of the rich
All societies include "early adopters" and "late adopters" of lifestyle changes. Early in the heart disease epidemic, affluent people in developing countries had the means and the opportunity to adopt new lifestyles, involving behaviour such as choosing foods rich in fat and calories, buying cars and using tobacco. Since these goods have become affordable for mass consumption "unhealthy" behaviour of this kind has become common across all social classes. Today, affluent people, especially the urban rich, have better access to health information concerning risk factors in the media and they also possess the means to modify their behaviour in favour of a healthier lifestyle (healthy diets, leisure-time physical activity, abstinence from tobacco). They constitute the "early adopters", while the urban poor and rural communities -- with limited access to information and little time or money for "healthy foods" and "fitness clubs" -- lag behind. As a result, risky behaviour develops, and risk factors increase.

Recent studies from Latin America and South-East Asia, where coronary heart disease is particularly common, indicate that many coronary risk factors are more prevalent among those with lower socioeconomic standing and that the poor are, indeed, at higher risk of heart attacks.
In industrialized countries too, where the epidemic began among the urban rich, though some decades earlier than in the developing world, cardiovascular diseases are now more common in the relatively poor. When the worldwide heart disease epidemic fully develops, the poorest countries and the poorest people within society will be the worst affected.

Myth 3: Heart disease is mostly a man's disease
While coronary heart disease is, in general, less common in pre-menopausal women than in men, in many parts of the world it is the most common cause of death in women, even those aged under 65. Heart disease, as well as its risk factors, varies to a surprising degree between populations. For example, women aged 35-64 years in Glasgow, Scotland, and in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have higher heart attack rates than men in some parts of southern Europe, according to a recent WHO study on trends in cardiovascular diseases (the WHO MONICA Project).

Hypertension and stroke are also major problems that affect women. Given the longer life expectancy of women, they contribute increasingly to cardiovascular deaths and disability after the sixth decade. The result is that, over their entire lifespan, women and men are equally affected by heart attacks and stroke -- a fact that has long been neglected by doctors and health professionals, and by women themselves. Furthermore, pregnancy-associated hypertension is an important health problem in the developing world, where it is the major cause of premature birth and perinatal death, and is also responsible for up to one-third of all maternal deaths.

Myth 4: Heart disease is a problem of old age
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease and stroke) and hypertension increase with age. But research in industrialized countries shows that about one-third of heart attacks and one-quarter of strokes occur in people below the age of 65. Many of the deaths due to cardiovascular diseases also occur early, one-quarter of them below the age of 70. In the developing world, the situation is even more marked: up to half of all deaths attributable to heart diseases occur in persons younger than 70; and a great number of working-age adults suffer from these diseases. This has an enormous impact on the economic situation of individuals and families as well as on society as a whole, and hampers efforts to alleviate poverty.

Myth 5: Heart disease is not susceptible to community action
The predominant factors contributing to the risk of cardiovascular diseases appear to be acquired, and to be lifestyle-related rather than genetic. Risk factors can be modified within a "healthy environment" that supports appropriate lifestyle practices, and most cardiovascular diseases are preventable. The prevention of heart diseases in individuals calls for the active promotion of health in populations.

Programmes that combine community mobilization with governmental regulation through taxation, legislation and pricing policies have proved to be effective in controlling tobacco and encouraging healthier diets in numerous industrialized countries. From these experiences, it is clear that community, national and even global action are key elements in combating the advancing epidemic of cardiovascular diseases in the developing world. Community mobilization can best be attained through educating the public, patients, professionals and policymakers, based on the advice of health professionals.

Myth 6: Heart disease is no longer a public health issue
There is a widespread mistaken belief that the total burden of cardiovascular diseases is diminishing. Despite declining mortality, heart disease remains the dominant public health problem in industrialized countries. Eastern European countries are at present experiencing the highest mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases. A major cause for concern is the projected rise of these diseases in developing countries in the next century. It is predicted that by 2020 the number of deaths due to heart attacks and stroke in the developing world will have doubled as compared with 1990.

The reasons for this anticipated acceleration of the epidemic are increasing life expectancy related to a decline in infant mortality, unhealthy lifestyle changes related to industrialization and urbanization, and longer periods of exposure to the risk factors of heart disease because of improved socioeconomic conditions.

The public health consequences of an uncontrolled epidemic of cardiovascular diseases in the developing world would be disastrous. Not only would millions of productive years of life be lost, but the high costs of technology-intensive management of these diseases would impose a heavy financial burden on affected individuals, their families and society as a whole. The global epidemic needs a global response now, in the form of an international effort to create awareness and stimulate action in all countries and all sectors of society.

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Some Tips to Avoid Heart Disease

The human heart's job is to pump nutrient-rich blood throughout your body. If you smoke, take d rugs, or drink alcohol excessively, you are giving your heart extra work. how do you feel when you have too much work to do? Your heart cannot handle too much extra work over a long period of time. Over time, the health of your heart will suffer.

Scientists have proven that smoking doubles your risk of having a herat attack and doubles, triples or quadruples your risk of sudden cardiac eath. each year, over 300,000 Americans die of smoking-related heart disease. There is hope! Former smokers can completely lower their risk of sudden cardiac death within ten years of quitting.

Because they are foreign substances, any drug can affect your heart. With illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, amphetamines, etc.) YOU have to control the effect on your heart. Even a small amount of a drug can be potentially fatal.

While Drinking alcohol in moderation may not pose a risk, drinking excesively does pose a serious hazard to your heart. While alcohol flows in your blood stream, the nutrient-rich blood is less able to nourish the heart. If the alcohol content is excessive, your heart will be in danger.



Everyday heart health tips
Follow some of these tips in your everyday routine to be more active:

• Take the stairs instead of an elevator at school or the mall.
• Park your car at the far end of the parking lot. The short walk to and from the store or school helps your heart.
• If you can, spend a few minutes of your lunch break taking a stroll around the campus grounds, it should help you to stay awak after lunc.
• Think of housework as an extra chance to exercise. Vacuuming briskly can be real workout.
• If you have a dog, think of the dog as an exercise machine with fur. A brisk walk with the dog is good for both of your hearts.

Heart Diet Tips
To control the amount andk ind of fat, saturated fatty acids, and dietary cholesterol you eat:

• Eat no more than 6oz (cooked) per day of lean meat, fish, and skinless poultry.
• Use cooking methods that requrie little or no fat: boil, broil, bake, roast, poach, steam, saute, stir-fry, or microwave.
• Choose skim or 1% fat milk and nonfat or lowfat yogurt and cheeses
• Eat 5 or more servings of fruits or vegetables per day
• Eat 6 or more servings of breads, cereals or grains per day, making 3 of the servings whole grai

Reference: American Heart Association

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Facts About Heart Disease

Basically, heart disease is a disorder affecting the ability of the heart to function normally. There are many forms of heart disease of varied etiology.
The most widespread form of heart disease is high cholesterol. In the initial stages of the disease, lesions and cracks will form in the walls of blood vessel walls, usually close to the heart itself. The body will repair the damage by depositing fatty substances such as cholesterol and lipoproteins to fill the cracks.
If the body does not get adequate vitamin C that are vital for keeping the blood vessel walls from cracking, the repeated deposition of fatty substances can clog the blood vessels and thus cause a stroke or heart attack.

Types of Heart Diseases
The common forms of heart disease are: coronary heart disease, ischaemic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, hereditary heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, inflammatory heart disease, and valvular heart disease.
Heart diseases may also occur due to congenital reasons, heart valve
malfunction, electrical rhythm of the heart going out of sync, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, aortic regurgitation, heart attacks and heart failure.

Causes of Heart Disease
The major causes of heart disease include obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetic and a sedentary lifestyle. Others include menopause in women, getting on in age, especially after reaching sixty-five years of age and finally, the arterial walls being struck down with infections.
Damage to the heart muscle or valves due to a congenital defect, as well as inflammation and damage associated with various viral, bacterial, fungal or parasitic diseases can also cause heart disease.
Disease can also cause heart disease, for example atherosclerosis, dermatomyositis, Friedrich's ataxia, hemochromatosis, Kawasaki disease and Paget's disease of bone. Rheumatic fever and syphilis can also cause heart disease, as can genetic or autoimmune disorders in which cellular proteins in the heart muscle are deranged or which disrupt enzymes affecting cardiac function.

Common Symptoms of Heart Disease
The most common symptoms of heart disease include heaviness or pressure on the chest; dizziness; nausea; shortness of breath; back or shoulder pain; irregular or fast heartbeats and excessive heart palpitations. If one encounter any of these problems, it would be prudent to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Diagnosing Heart Disease
Everyone should be concerned with heart disease and should discuss testing for heart disease with a doctor especially if one have a family history or aggravating lifestyle choices. High blood pressure, frequent loss of breath, heavy smoking or drinking, obesity, high cholesterol, inactivity and diabetes are sound reasons for heart disease testing.

Cure for Heart Disease
On diagnosis of heart disease, the doctor will probably recommend that a patient adopt a healthy lifestyle such as having frequent exercise, a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and cigarettes. The next treatment will more than likely involve medications and finally surgery.
Although there are many different forms of treatment for heart disease, there is no cure for heart disease. There are promising theories, however none yet have been perfected yet.
Cellular therapy is promising as a possible cure for heart disease. Cellular products have been shown to hold great potential for the treating of damaged and diseased tissues in the body. The sources for cellular product also come in a variety of sources, such as bone marrow stem cell and peripheral blood, as well as from myoblasts from skeletal muscle cells.
Cellular therapy is a growing field for clinical research. It is of growing interest to medical researchers as potential treatments for congestive heart failure and ischemic heart disease, for instance.
The research to date has shown positive results. There are also various other forms of promising treatment. So a cure for heart disease may be a reality in the future.
All treatment for heart disease should be discussed with a doctor but most of the medications will be available on prescription. If the medication is not effective, then the last option may be surgery. There are wide ranges of surgeries and many of them are less invasive so recovery time is shorter.
One should also understand that heart disease is preventable by living a healthy lifestyle such as regular exercise, having low salt and low fat diets as well as abstaining from alcohol and smoking. After all, prevention is much better than cure.

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More About Coronary Artery Disease or Ischaemic Heart Disease

Cause and Pathogenesis

A multitude of factors are responsible for the development of Ischaemic Heart Disease. The major risk factors are smoking, diabetes mellitus and cholesterol levels. Those with Hypercholesterolaemia (elevated blood levels of cholesterol) have a much higher tendency to develop the disease. There is also the theory that Hypertension is a risk factor in the development of Ischaemic Heart Disease, Genetic and hereditary factors may also be responsible for the disease. Males are more prone to Ischaemic Heart Disease. However, in post-menopausal women, the risk is almost similar to that of men. Stress is also thought to be a risk factor, though there has been a great deal of debate on this factor of late. The disease process occurs when an atheromatous plaque forms in the coronary vessels, leading to narrowing of the vessel walls and obstructing blood flow to the musculature of the heart. Complete blockage results in deficient oxygenation and nutrient supply to the heart tissues, leading to damage, death and necrosis of the tissue, which is known as Myocardial Infarction (heart attack).

Symptoms and Signs

Quite often, the first sign of Ischaemic Heart Disease may be the severe chest pain of Myocardial Infarction, which may be fatal. However, the warning symptoms occur in a large number of patients in the form of Angina Pectoris. The main symptom of Angina is pain over the central chest that may sometimes radiate down the left arm, to the jaw or to the back. The characteristic feature of the pain is that it is usually aggravated by exercise and relieved by rest, though variant forms may occur. The pain is also relieved by the use of nitrates kept under the tongue. The pain is usually described as a sense of compression or tightness in the middle of the chest, and may last for five to twenty minutes. The pain may be accompanied by sweating. The presence of anginal episodes is virtually diagnostic of Ischaemic Heart Disease. Other signs that can be observed on clinical examination is the presence of Tendon Xanthomas, thickening of the Achilles Tendon and Arcus Lipidus in young patients, all of which may indicate a hereditary Hyperlipdaemia. The patient should also be examined for anaemia, obesity, diabetes, thyroid and peripheral vascular disease.

Investigations and Diagnosis

Electrocardiography (ECG) may be normal in several patients at rest between attacks of Angina. However, during the episodes of pain there may be depression of the ST segment and a T wave inversion in several leads, indicating Ischaemia. In cases of Infarction (heart attack), there will be ST segment elevation in the ECG, which may gradually evolve. An Echocardiogram may help in showing any functional abnormalities in the various cardiac chambers and in assessing the pumping efficiency of the heart. An exercise testing (Treadmill Test-TMT) is often indicated in patients who have symptoms but have normal ECG patterns. Nowadays, TMT is being indicated in all high-risk categories beyond the age of 35 irrespective of symptoms. Myocardial perfusion scanning with radioactive thallium may also be helpful in the diagnosis. Coronary Angiogram provides accurate information about the actual site and extent of the stenosis (narrowing) and helps in deciding the method of therapy required.

Treatment and Prognosis

Drug therapy with Nitrates, which dilate the diseased coronary arteries, administered sub-lingually are very effective in relieving the pain in a few minutes. Drugs such as Isosorbide Dinitrate and Isosorbide Mononitrate belong to the category of Nitrates. These drugs are also used as a prophylactic to prevent the pain from occurring. Beta-blockers like Propranolol are also highly effective in relieving pain by reducing myocardial oxygen demand, mainly by decreasing the heart rate. Calcium channel antagonists produce vasodilatation and relieve the symptoms by reducing the excitability and conductivity of cardiac muscle and by reducing blood pressure. For patients with hypercholesterolaemia, drugs may be used to lower cholesterol levels. Surgical therapy is indicated when medical treatment has failed to relieve symptoms or when the Angiogram shows significant disease in the blood vessels. Coronary Angioplasty - dilating the blocked vessel by inflating a balloon inside the vessel and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) - replacing the blocked area of the vessel using a graft from the patient, may be done to relieve the blockage. The indications for bypass surgery are increasingly becoming limited. This is due to the growing realization that except in selected cases, bypass surgery only helps to improve the quality of life and relieve symptoms. It does not significantly increase life expectancy. The current trends are to focus on medical treatment and techniques like angioplasty. With proper treatment, most patients will be able to lead normal and healthy lives. Treatment also involves advice regarding regular exercise, avoiding smoking, diet control and life style modification. Good control of diabetesand hypertension significantly improves the outlook.

Prevention

Risk factors like a fatty diet, smoking, sedentary lifestyle and stress should be avoided, as they are the main areas of focus in prevention. Avoiding foods rich in saturated fats is vital to reduce lipid levels in the blood and to prevent arteriosclerosis. Adequate regular exercise is also essential. Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension should be kept under good control with proper treatment.

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Rheumatic Heart Disease

What is Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Rheumatic heart disease is a condition in which permanent damage to heart valves is caused from rheumatic fever. The heart valve is damaged by a disease process that begins with a strep throat caused by streptococcus A bacteria, that may eventually cause rheumatic fever.Rheumatic fever can affect many connective tissues of the body — especially those of the heart, joints, brain or skin. Anyone can get acute rheumatic fever, but it usually occurs in children five to 15 years old. It is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease, a complication of untreated strep throat. Because of antibiotics, rheumatic fever is now rare in developed countries. However, in recent years, it has begun to make a comeback in the United States, particularly among children living in poor inner-city neighborhoods.The greatest danger from rheumatic fever is the damage it can do to the heart. In more than half of all cases, rheumatic fever scars the valves of the heart, forcing it to work harder to pump blood. Over a period of months or even years, particularly if the disease strikes again, damage to the heart can lead to the serious condition of rheumatic heart disease.In rheumatic heart disease, the damaged heart valve either does not completely close or completely open. Sometimes damage to heart valves is not immediately noticeable, but eventually damaged heart valves can cause serious, even disabling, problems. These problems depend on the severity of the damage and on which heart valve is affected. The most advanced condition is congestive heart failure.What are Symptoms of Rheumatic Fever:Symptoms, which vary greatly, typically begin one to six weeks after a bout of strep throat, although in some cases the infection may have been too mild to have been recognized.

Symptoms may include:

• fever
• red, raised, lattice-like rash, usually on the chest, back and abdomen
• swollen, tender, red and extremely painful joints — particularly the knees, ankles, elbows or wrists
• nodules, or small bony protuberances, over the swollen joints
• sometimes, weakness and shortness of breath
• sometimes, uncontrolled movements of arms, legs or facial muscles Can Rheumatic Heart

Disease be Prevented
The best defense against rheumatic heart disease is to prevent rheumatic fever from ever occurring by treating a streptococcus A bacteria with penicillin or other antibiotics. Treatment can usually stop acute rheumatic fever from developing. People who have already had attacks of rheumatic fever are more susceptible to further attacks and the risk of heart damage. They may be given continuous monthly or daily antibiotic treatment, perhaps even for life. They also are given a different antibiotic when they undergo dental or surgical procedures that may increase the risk of bacterial endocarditis

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How can we protect ourselves against heart disease?

Based on what we have learned from the scientific studies, it is possible to formulate a set of guidelines for heart disease prevention, guidelines that include both avoidance of external stresses and common sense dietary advice. Not all external stresses can be avoided, not in today's fast-paced industrial age, but a good diet can provide many factors that help the body deal with environmental toxins and high levels of stress.

There are many points contained in the following guidelines that can be debated but one thing is certain: If you are still afraid of saturated fats and cholesterol, you will find yourself on the wrong dietary path. If you are avoiding foods containing saturated fat and cholesterol, you will not only deprive your body of vital nutrients, but the foods that you consume as substitutes will contain many components—polyunsaturated oils, trans fatty acids, refined sugar—that have been associated with increased rates of heart disease.

Ten Commandments for Avoiding CHD:

1. DON'T SMOKE. If you find it impossible to quit, at least try to cut back and smoke only additive-free cigarettes. Smokers should avoid polyunsaturated oils at all costs. Saturated fats and vitamins A and D are particularly protective of the lungs.
2. Exercise regularly but you needn't overdo. A brisk daily walk, 10 minutes on the trampoline, swimming, and sports are all appropriate.
3. Avoid overweight by eating nutrient-dense foods and keeping sweets to a minimum, but avoid crash dieting.
4. Don't work too hard. Counteract stress by doing something that you love to do everyday. During periods of unavoidable hardship or loss, increase consumption of foods rich in protective nutrients.
5. As much as possible, avoid exposure to fumes, chemicals, pollutants and pesticides.
6. Avoid all processed foods labeled "lowfat" or that contain polyunsaturated vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats, white flour, refined sugar and additives.
7. Consume high-quality animal products including a variety of seafood and milk, butter, cheese, eggs, meat, fats and organ meats from animals raised on green pasture.
8. Consume a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, preferably organically grown.
9. Ensure sufficient mineral intake by using whole dairy products; bone broths; and whole grains, legumes and nuts that have been properly prepared to reduce phytic acid and other factors that block mineral absorption.41
10. Supplement the diet with foods rich in protective factors including small amounts of cod liver oil (vitamins A and D); wheat germ oil (vitamin E); flax oil (omega-3 fatty acids); kelp (iodine); brewers yeast (B vitamins); desiccated liver (vitamin B12); rose hip or acerola powder (vitamin C); and coconut oil (antimicrobial fatty acids)

Known Risk Factors of Heart Disease

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What to do if you are experiencing these warning signs?

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE WARNING SIGNALS OF A HEART ATTACK YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY:

• Call your local emergency number for help, or have someone call for you (It's a good idea to keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone at all times).
• Stop all activity and sit or lie down, in whatever position is most comfortable.
• If you take nitroglycerin, take your normal dosage.
• If you are experiencing chest pain, chew and swallow one (1) adult 325 mg ASA tablet (e.g., Aspirin®) or two (2) 80 mg tablets. Do not use pain medicines like acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol ) or ibuprofen (e.g. Advil®).
• Rest comfortably and wait for emergency medical services (EMS) (e.g., ambulance) to arrive.

If you are with someone who is experiencing the warning signals of a heart attack:

• Help the person with all the activities listed above.
• Expect denial. You must take charge and call your local emergency number.
• If the person becomes unresponsive (no normal breathing, coughing, or movement), start CPR.

In the event of cardiopulmonary arrest (no normal breathing, coughing or movement), call your local emergency number, attach an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) or begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately and continue until emergency help has arrived.

• Check the scene for safety.
• Determine unresponsiveness (no normal breathing, coughing or movement).
• Call your local emergency number.
• Get the AED or ask someone to get an AED if there is one close by, and attach it to the person immediately.

Early intervention in the case of a cardiac emergency can mean the difference between life and death. The flow of oxygen to the brain can be sustained and the amount of permanent damage can be reduced. A survival rate as high as 90% has been reported when defibrillation is achieved within the first minute of collapse. Every minute that passes reduces the chances of survival by 7- 10%.

Known Risk Factors of Heart Disease.

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Heart Disease Symptoms

Heart Attack Warning Signs.

According to National Institute of Health, a heart attack is a frightening event, and you probably don't want to think about it. But, if you learn the signs of a heart attack and what steps to take, you can save a life–maybe your own. What are the signs of a heart attack? Many people think a heart attack is sudden and intense, like a "movie" heart attack, where a person clutches his or her chest and falls over. The truth is that many heart attacks start slowly, as a mild pain or discomfort. If you feel such a symptom, you may not be sure what's wrong. Your symptoms may even come and go. Even those who have had a heart attack may not recognize their symptoms, because the next attack can have entirely different ones. It's vital that everyone learn the warning signs of a heart attack. These are: 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

According to Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, there are some warning before heart attack, such as:

Pain

• sudden discomfort or pain that does not go away with rest
• pain that may be in the chest, neck, jaw, shoulder, arms or back
• pain that may feel like burning, squeezing, heaviness, tightness or pressure
• in women, pain may be more vague

Shortness of Breath

• difficulty breathing

Nausea

• indigestion
• vomiting

Sweating

• cool, clammy skin

Fear

• anxiety
• denial

What to do if you are experiencing these warning signs?

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Known Risk Factors of Heart Disease

There are dozens of risk factors for heart disease. Those cited most often by medical orthodoxy include high blood cholesterol, smoking, lack of exercise, stress and overweight. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is a mild risk factor for individuals with familial hyper-cholesterolemia (cholesterol levels chronically above 350 mg/dl) but for most of us, there is no greater risk of heart disease between cholesterol levels that are "high" (over 300 mg/dl) and those that are "low" (under 200 mg/dl).
One factor of apparent importance is smoking, which has been associated in many studies with an increased risk of coronary mortality, even after correction for other risk factors. It is easy to speculate on the mechanism by which smoking causes heart disease. Exposure to fumes containing free radicals may promote the growth of atherosclerotic plaques. Perhaps chronic carbon monoxide intoxication limits the heart's utilization of oxygen.
But the picture is more complex than simple cause and effect. In a multi-year British study involving several thousand men, half were asked to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in their diets, to stop smoking and to increase the amounts of unsaturated oils such as margarine and vegetable oils. After one year, those on the "good" diet had 100 percent more deaths than those on the "bad" diet, in spite of the fact that those men on the "bad" diet continued to smoke.2 In a study of Indians from Bombay and Punjab, researchers found that those from Punjab had one-fifth the number of heart attacks even though they smoked eight times more cigarettes.3 And while smoking was widespread at the turn of the century, myocardial infarction was not. This suggests that there may be factors in traditional diets that protect against the negative effects of smoking. It also raises the question of whether additives now used in cigarette paper and filters and changes in the curing process itself have exacerbated the harmful effects of cigarette use.
Perhaps the association between smoking and heart disease is really an association with some other factor—stress, biochemical imbalances, nutrient deficiencies—that creates the desire or the need to smoke. Often when people quit smoking they become nervous and overweight, which may seem a bad bargain of one risk factor in exchange for two more.
Regular physical activity is one of the few risk factors that has proved consistent. In all studies, regular physical activity is inversely associated with mortality from CHD, and physical activity is the only factor that has shown dose-response in the trials. Common sense tells us why exercise may be beneficial. When we exercise, our heart beats more rapidly, the arteries widen to provide more oxygen and arterial blood flow improves.
Lack of exercise may also be a risk factor because it is a marker for something else that is the true cause. People who are overweight, for example, are less inclined to exercise. Prosperous people who have leisure time are more likely to exercise than those who must work long hours to make ends meet—and we know that heart disease in westernized nations is more prevalent among the poor.4 Dietary factors may make people less inclined to exercise. An interesting finding in the Framingham study was that those who ate the most saturated fat, the most calories and the most cholesterol were the most physically active.5 They also weighed the least and had the lowest levels of serum cholesterol!
Common sense also tells us why overweight may be a risk factor. People who are overweight are less inclined to exercise. They probably eat large quantities of refined foods that provide lots of calories but little nourishment. They may have biochemical imbalances that contribute not only to overweight but also to some of the many aspects of heart disease, such as the tendency to form blood clots.
Many doctors have noticed that heart attack strikes in the months just after severe emotional trauma—loss of a spouse or close friend, bankruptcy, layoff or disappointment. We know that grief changes many aspects of the body chemistry, making us more vulnerable to all sorts of diseases—not just heart disease but also cancer, allergies, tuberculosis and depression. But mankind has always suffered loss and grief. The question is why these traumas cause heart attacks today but did not in 1900.
Although the known risk factors may not be the underlying causes, it makes sense to exercise regularly, to avoid smoking, to maintain an appropriate body weight and to minimize stress. Unfortunately, avoidance of these risk factors is no guarantee. We all know of slim, nonsmoking, active, successful individuals who have developed heart disease—including athletes who have keeled over while jogging. And stress cannot always be avoided. All of us face loss and challenge. The question is, how do we fortify the body to deal with stress in a way that minimizes its impact on the physical body?

How can we protect ourselves against heart disease?

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What is Coronary Heart Disease?

There are many kinds of heart disease, and they can affect the heart in several ways. But the ultimate problem with all varieties of heart disease is that, in one way or another, they can disrupt the vital pumping action of the heart.
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is not a single disease, but a complex of diseases of varied etiology. Some of the recognized causes of heart disease include damage to the heart muscle or valves due to a congenital defect; or to inflammation and damage associated with various viral, bacterial, fungal, rickettsial or parasitic diseases. Rheumatic fever or syphilis can lead to heart disease, as can genetic or autoimmune disorders in which cellular proteins in the heart muscle are deranged or which disrupt enzymes affecting cardiac function.
These factors probably contributed to most cases of heart disease recorded in the early part of the century, when rates of infectious diseases were much higher and antibiotics were not in use. Nevertheless, heart disease was relatively rare in 1900, accounting for approximately 8 percent of all deaths in the US.
But by 1950, CHD was the leading cause of mortality in the US, causing more than 30 percent of all deaths, and the figure has been climbing ever since. Today CHD accounts for about 45 percent of all deaths. The incidence rose most precipitously between 1920 and 1960. Since that time, mortality rates from CHD have declined somewhat. This means that victims of heart disease are living longer, due most likely to improved surgical techniques, the advent of angioplasty and the use of anti-clotting drugs given to heart attack victims. But the morbidity rates—the incidence of heart disease—continue to rise, although at a lower rate than before. Of greatest concern is the high rate of heart disease in American men between the ages of 45 to 65—during the period of greatest family and career responsibilities.
The interesting thing is that most cases of heart disease in the twentieth century are of a form that is new, namely heart attack or myocardial infarction—a massive blood clot leading to obstruction of a coronary artery and consequent death to the heart muscle. Myocardial infarction (MI) was almost nonexistent in 1910 and caused no more than 3,000 deaths per year in 1930. Dr. Paul Dudley White, who introduced the electrocardiograph machine to America, stated the following during a 1956 American Heart Association televised fund-raiser: "I began my practice as a cardiologist in 1921 and I never saw an MI patient until 1928." By 1960, there were at least 500,000 MI deaths per year in the US. Rates of stroke have also increased and the cause is similar—blockage in the large arteries supplying the brain with blood.
The factors that initiate a heart attack (or a stroke) are twofold. One is the pathological buildup of abnormal plaque, or atheromas, in the arteries, plaque that gradually hardens through calcification. Blockage most often occurs in the large arteries feeding the heart or the brain. This abnormal plaque or atherosclerosis should not be confused with the fatty streaks and thickening that is found in the arteries of both primitive and industrialized peoples throughout the world. This thickening is a protective mechanism that occurs in areas where the arteries branch or make a turn and therefore incur the greatest levels of pressure from the blood. Without this natural thickening, our arteries would weaken in these areas as we age, leading to aneurysms and ruptures. With normal thickening, the blood vessel usually widens to accommodate the change. But with atherosclerosis the vessel ultimately becomes more narrow so that even small blood clots may cause an obstruction.
The other half of the MI equation is the blood clot or thrombus that blocks blood flow to the heart or brain. Thus, any search for the causes of heart disease must consider complex factors in the blood that promote clotting at inappropriate times, that is, other than in response to bleeding from a rupture or wound. In fact, while a great deal of attention has been focused on the cause and solution to atherosclerosis, the role played by clotting factors in the blood has been relatively neglected. Yet a heart attack due to a clot can occur even in the absence of arterial blockages.
Inflammation may also cause blockages. In fact, a new view of coronary artery disease is that it is an inflammatory process, characterized by cycles of irritation, injury, healing and reinjury inside the blood vessels.1 The inflammatory response is actually a defense mechanism that helps the body heal but when the inflammatory process goes awry, plaques may rupture, provoking clots that lead to heart attacks.
The health and integrity of the blood vessel walls is another factor that must be considered. Aneurysms, the dilation and rupture of blood vessels due to weakness in the vessel walls, will naturally provoke a clotting response, not to mention the more immediate danger of rapid blood loss. In addition, biochemical imbalances in the smooth muscle cells may result in spasms that can be just as effective as a blood clot in cutting off blood flow to the heart.
Finally, arrythmias—abnormalities in the rhythm of the heart's pumping mechanism—can lead to interrupted blood flow, oxygen starvation of the heart muscle or complete shut down of the heart—the so-called cardiac arrest. Regulation of the nervous impulses that govern the heart depends on a large number of factors—from mineral status to the integrity of the myelin sheath.

Related Articles:
Coronary Artery Disease
Heart Disease Symptoms?

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What is Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary Artery Disease, otherwise known as Ischaemic Heart Disease.

These are diseases of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. Sometimes known as CAD, coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease in industrialized nations and far and away the leading cause of heart attacks.
Coronary artery disease generally means that blood flow through the arteries has become impaired. The most common way such obstructions develop is through a condition called atherosclerosis, a largely preventable type of vascular disease.
The actively contracting heart muscle needs a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients to function. They're delivered by blood vessels known as coronary arteries.
Over the course of your lifetime — actually starting in early childhood — these arteries, whose inner lining is normally smooth, can slowly become clogged with clumps of fats, cholesterol and other material, called atherosclerotic plaques. You may also know this as hardening or narrowing of the arteries. The inner walls of arteries become narrow slowly because of a buildup of these plaques, or suddenly by a rupture of a plaque and the formation of a blood clot around the ruptured plaque.
As a result, the supply of blood — with its oxygen and nutrients — going to the heart muscle is choked off (myocardial ischemia). As less blood reaches the heart, it can't function normally, and you begin experiencing the physical consequences.
Chest pain (angina pectoris) occurs, for instance, when the oxygen demand of the heart muscle exceeds the oxygen supply because of that narrowing in the coronary arteries. When the imbalance of oxygen supply lasts for more then a few minutes, heart muscle can begin to die, causing a heart attack (myocardial infarction). This may occur without symptoms (silent heart attack), especially in people with diabetes.
In addition, the lack of blood, even briefly, can lead to serious disorders of the heart rhythm, known as arrhythmias or dysrhythmias. Coronary artery disease can even cause sudden death from an arrhythmia without any prior warning.
These consequences of coronary artery disease are also types of cardiovascular disease in their own right and, in turn, can cause even more types of cardiovascular disease — weaving a complex interplay of cause and effect. A heart attack, for instance, can lead to congestive heart failure, and both of these conditions are types of cardiovascular disease.
There's another confusing twist to coronary artery disease: It's sometimes used synonymously with coronary heart disease. But you can impress your cardiologist on the next visit — if not your colleagues around the water cooler — if you know they're not technically the same things.
Rather, coronary heart disease is a more encompassing term that refers to diseases of the coronary arteries and their resulting complications — angina, a heart attack and even scar tissue caused by the heart attack. All are technically coronary heart diseases.

Remember, coronary artery disease is disease only of the arteries.

What is Coronary Heart Disease?

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Lets Know about Cardiovascular Disease.

First, consider cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is a broad, all-encompassing term. It's not a single condition or disorder in itself. Rather, it's a collection of diseases and conditions. In fact, some types of cardiovascular disease can even cause other types of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease, then, has two main components:

• Diseases of the heart (cardio)
• Diseases of the blood vessels (vascular)

Although you may hear a lot about preventing cardiovascular disease, sometimes you can't prevent it. That's because some types of cardiovascular disease are congenital — you're born with them. Other forms are acquired — you develop them over the course of your lifetime. These acquired conditions are the forms you can often help prevent by doing such things as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet or quitting smoking. And they make up the vast majority of cardiovascular diseases.
So, if you have something wrong with your heart, such as an abnormality of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), that's a type of cardiovascular disease. Likewise, an aneurysm, a bulging section of blood vessel, also is a type of cardiovascular disease. And even varicose veins are technically classified as a cardiovascular disease.

What is Coronary Artery Disease

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What Causes Heart Disease?

Cardiovascular disease can take many forms: high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, stroke, or rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease causes 12 million deaths in the world each year. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for half of all deaths in the United States and other developed countries, and it is a main cause of death in many developing countries as well. Overall, it is the leading cause of death in adults.
In the United States, more than 60 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. About 2600 people die every day of cardiovascular disease. Cancer, the second largest killer, accounts for only half as many deaths.
Coronary artery disease, the most common form of cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death in America today. But thanks to many studies involving thousands of patients, researchers have found certain factors that play an important role in a person's chances of developing heart disease. These are called risk factors.
Risk factors are divided into two categories:

• Major Risk
• Contributing Risk

Major risk factors are those that have been proven to increase your risk of heart disease. Contributing risk factors are those that doctors think can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, but their exact role has not been defined.
The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop heart disease. Some risk factors can be changed, treated, or modified, and some cannot. But by controlling as many risk factors as possible, through lifestyle changes and/or medicines, you can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Major Risk Factors
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Though other risk factors can lead to high blood pressure, you can have it without having other risk factors. If you are obese, you smoke, or you have high blood cholesterol levels along with high blood pressure, your risk of heart disease or stroke greatly increases.
Blood pressure can vary with activity and with age, but a healthy adult who is resting generally has a systolic pressure reading between 120 and 130 and a diastolic pressure reading between 80 and 90 (or below).
High Blood Cholesterol. One of the major risk factors for heart disease is high blood cholesterol. Cholesterol, a fat-like substance carried in your blood, is found in all of your body's cells. Your liver produces all of the cholesterol your body needs to form cell membranes and to make certain hormones. Extra cholesterol enters your body when you eat foods that come from animals (meats, eggs, and dairy products).
Although we often blame the cholesterol found in foods that we eat for raising blood cholesterol, the main culprit is the saturated fat in food. (Be sure to read nutrition labels carefully, because even though a food does not contain cholesterol it may still have large amounts of saturated fat.) Foods rich in saturated fat include butter fat in milk products, fat from red meat, and tropical oils such as coconut oil.
Too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") in the blood causes plaque to form on artery walls, which starts a disease process called atherosclerosis. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, you are at greater risk of having a heart attack.
Diabetes. Heart problems are the leading cause of death among people with diabetes, especially in the case of adult-onset or Type II diabetes (also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes). Certain racial and ethnic groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans) have a greater risk of developing diabetes. The American Heart Association estimates that 65% of patients with diabetes die of some form of cardiovascular disease. If you know that you have diabetes, you should already be under a doctor's care, because good control of blood sugar levels can reduce your risk. If you think you may have diabetes but are not sure, see your doctor for tests.
Obesity and Overweight. Extra weight is thought to lead to increased total cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Obesity increases your chances of developing other risk factors for heart disease, especially high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
Many doctors now measure obesity in terms of body mass index (BMI), which is a formula of kilograms divided by height in meters squared (BMI =W [kg]/H [m2]). According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), being overweight is defined as having a BMI over 25. Those with a number over 30 are considered obese.
Smoking. Most people know that cigarette and tabacco smoking increases your risk of lung cancer, but fewer realize that it also greatly increases your risk of heart disease and peripheral vascular disease (disease in the vessels that supply blood to the arms and legs). According to the American Heart Association, more than 400,000 Americans die each year of smoking-related illnesses. Many of these deaths are because of the effects of smoking on the heart and blood vessels.
Research has shown that smoking increases heart rate, tightens major arteries, and can create irregularities in the timing of heartbeats, all of which make your heart work harder. Smoking also raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke in people who already have high blood pressure. Although nicotine is the main active agent in cigarette smoke, other chemicals and compounds like tar and carbon monoxide are also harmful to your heart in a variety of ways. These chemicals lead to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, possibly by injuring the vessel walls. And they also affect cholesterol and levels of fibrinogen, which is a blood-clotting material. This increases the risk of a blood clot that can lead to a heart attack.
Physical Inactivity. People who are not active have a greater risk of heart attack than do people who exercise regularly. Exercise burns calories, helps to control cholesterol levels and diabetes, and may lower blood pressure. Exercise also strengthens the heart muscle and makes the arteries more flexible. Those who actively burn 500 to 3500 calories per week, either at work or through exercise, can expect to live longer than people who do not exercise. Even moderate-intensity exercise is helpful if done regularly.
Gender. Overall, men have a higher risk of heart attack than women. But the difference narrows after women reach menopause. After the age of 65, the risk of heart disease is about the same between the sexes when other risk factors are similar.
Heredity. Heart disease tends to run in families. For example, if your parents or siblings had a heart or circulatory problem before age 55, then you are at greater risk for heart disease than someone who does not have that family history. Risk factors (including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity) may also be passed from one generation to another.
Also, researchers have found that some forms of cardiovascular disease are more common among certain racial and ethnic groups. For example, studies have shown that African Americans have more severe high blood pressure and a greater risk of heart disease than whites. The bulk of cardiovascular research for minorities has focused on African Americans and Hispanics, with the white population used as a comparison. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in other minority groups are still being studied.
Age. Older age is a risk factor for heart disease. In fact, about 4 of every 5 deaths due to heart disease occur in people older than 65.
As we age, our hearts tend to not work as well. The heart's walls may thicken, arteries may stiffen and harden, and the heart is less able to pump blood to the muscles of the body. Because of these changes, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases with age. Because of their sex hormones, women are usually protected from heart disease until menopause, and then their risk increases. Women 65 and older have about the same risk of cardiovascular disease as men of the same age.
Contributing Risk Factors
Stress. Stress is considered a contributing risk factor for heart disease because little is known about its effects. The effects of emotional stress, behavior habits, and socioeconomic status on the risk of heart disease and heart attack have not been proven. That is because we all deal with stress differently: how much and in what way stress affects us can vary from person to person.
Researchers have identified several reasons why stress may affect the heart.
Stressful situations raise your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the your heart's need for oxygen. This need for oxygen can bring on angina pectoris, or chest pain, in people who already have heart disease.
During times of stress, the nervous system releases extra hormones (most often adrenaline). These hormones raise blood pressure, which can injure the lining of the arteries. When the arteries heal, the walls may harden or thicken, making is easier for plaque to build up.
Stress also increases the amount of blood clotting factors that circulate in your blood, and makes it more likely that a clot will form. Clots may then block an artery narrowed by plaque and cause a heart attack.
Stress may also contribute to other risk factors. For example, people who are stressed may overeat for comfort, start smoking, or smoke more than they normally would.
Sex hormones. Sex hormones appear to play a role in heart disease. Among women younger than 40, heart disease is rare. But between the ages 40 and 65, around the time when most women go through menopause, the chances that a woman will have a heart attack greatly increase. From 65 onward, women make up about half of all heart attack victims.
Birth control pills. Early types of birth control pills contained high levels of estrogen and progestin, and taking these pills increased the chances of heart disease and stroke, especially in women older than 35 who smoked. But birth control pills today contain much lower doses of hormones. Birth control pills are considered safe for women younger than 35, who do not smoke or have high blood pressure.
But if you smoke or have other risk factors, birth control pills will increase your risk of heart disease and blood clots, especially if you are older than 35. According to the American Heart Association, women who take birth control pills should have yearly check-ups that test blood pressure, triglyceride, and glucose levels.
Alcohol. Studies have shown that the risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol is lower than in nondrinkers. Experts say that moderate intake is an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. One drink is defined as 1?fluid ounces (fl oz) of 80-proof spirits (such as bourbon, Scotch, vodka, gin, etc.), 1 fl oz of 100-proof spirits, 4 fl oz of wine, or 12 fl oz of beer. But drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol can cause heart-related problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, irregular heartbeats, and cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle). And the average drink has between 100 and 200 calories. Calories from alcohol often add fat to the body, which may increase the risk of heart disease. It is not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or that drinkers increase the amount that they drink.
It is never too late too early begin improving heart health. Some risk factors can be controlled, while others cannot. But, by eliminating risk factors that you can change and by properly managing those that you cannot control, you may greatly reduce your risk of heart disease.

(s: THI)

Defining Cardiovascular Disease.

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Human Heart Anatomy

System cardiovascular is system giving process facility transportation of various substances from, and to body cells. This system consisted of activator organ so-called heart, and channel system consisted of by artery which drain blood from heart, and vein flowing blood towards heart.
An heart is hollow heart having 2 atrium and 2 ventricle. Heart is muscular organ capable to push blood to various part of bodies. Man heart is in the form of like trapeze and fairish equal to hand fist, located in chest cavity as of left barium. Heart wrapped by a membrane so-called pericardium. Heart accountable for maintaining blood stream with help of a number of valves complementing it. To guarantee continuity of circulation, contraction heart periodical.
Continuous contraction cardiac muscle without experiencing fatigue. contraction of Man heart is contraction miogenik, that is contraction started by irritant strength from itself cardiac muscle and not from nerve.

There are some part of hearts ( anatomically) we would discuss in this handing out, between it is :


a. Form Of And Heart Measure
Heart is main organ in system cardiovascular. Heart formed by organs muscular, apex and bases cordis, right atrium and left and right ventricle and left. Length heart measure about 12 cm, wide 8-9 cm thick seta about 6 cm.
Heart weight around 7-15 ounces or 200 to 425 grams and a few bigger than hand fists. Every day of heart ticks 100000 times and in a period of the period heart pumps 2000 blood gallons or equivalent with 7571 blood liters.
Position of located heart sent both lungs and stays middle to be middle of chest, convergent at diaphragm thoraces and stays about 5 cm to processus xiphoideus.
At right margin cranial stays at edge cranialis pars cartilaginis costa III dextra, 1 cm from lateral edge of sternum. At right margin caudal stays at edge cranialis pars cartilaginis costa VI dextra, 1 cm from lateral edge of sternum. Left margin cranial heart stays at edge caudal pars cartilaginis costa II sinistra by the side of lateral of sternum, left margin caudal stays at space intercostalis 5, about 9 cm in left of linea medioclavicularis.
Membrane wrapping heart called as pericardium where composing between layers fibrosa and serosa, in cavum pericardia contains 50 cc which is functioning as Lubricant in order not to to keep friction between pericardium and epikardium. Epikardium is most external layer from heart, the next layer is layer myocardium where this layer is thickest layer. Last coat is endokardium layer.

b. Space In Heart
There is 4 room in heart where two of the space called as atrium and the rest is ventricle. At civilian, atrium is recognized as gallery and ventricle is recognized as room.
Both atriums is space with thin muscular wall because the low of pressure generated by atrium. On the contrary ventricle has thick muscular wall especially left ventricle having layer thrice thicker than right ventricle.
Both atriums dissociated by partition between atriums ( septum interatriorum), second temporary of ventricle dissociated by partition between ventricles ( septum inter-ventrikulorum). Atrium and ventricle at each heart side correlates one another through a link so-called orifisium atrioventrikuler. this Orifisium can be open or closed by an spillway atrioventrikuler ( spillway AV). Spillway AV left side is called as bicuspid valve ( mitral valve) while spillway AV right side is called as spillway tricuspid.

c. Heart spillways
Between right atrium and right ventricle there are spillway dissociating both is spillway tricuspid, while at left atrium and left ventricle also has spillway so-called with spillway mitral/ bicuspid. Both this functioning spillways as constrictor which can be open and closed at the time of admission blood from atrium to ventricle.
1. Spillway Tricuspid
Spillway trikuspid stays between right atrium and right ventricle. If(when this open spillway, hence blood will flow from right atrium towards right ventricle. Functioning trikuspid spillway prevents the return of blood stream towards right atrium by the way of closing at the time of contraction of ventricle. As according to its(the name, spillway tricuspid consisted of 3 spillway leaf.
2. Spillway pulmonial
After spillway trikuspid is closed, blood will flow from within right ventricle through trunkus pulmonalis. Trunkus pulmonalis branchs to become left and right pulmonalis artery which will relate to left and right lung network. At jetty trunkus pulmonalis there is spillway pulmonalis consisted of by 3 open spillway leaf if(when contraction right ventricle and closes if(when relaxation right ventricle, causing enables blood to flow from right ventricle towards artery pulmonalis.
3. Bicuspid valve
Bicuspid Valve or mitral valve arranges blood stream from left atrium towards left ventricle.. Like spillway trikuspid, bicuspid valve closes at the time of contraction of ventricle. Bicuspid valve consisted of two spillway leaves.
4. Aorta Spillway
Aorta spillway consisted of 3 spillway leaf found on aorta jetty. This spillway will open at the time of left ventricle of contraction so that blood will flow to all body. On the contrary spillway will close at the time of left ventricle of relaxation, causing prevents reenter blood inside left ventricle.

d. Induction System Component of Heart
1. Sinoatrial
2. Atrioventrikular
3. RADIUM, LANTHANUM, RV, LV

e. Peace Meker ( Center Heart Trigger )
Main function of heart is pump blood to all body where at the time of pumping heart muscles heart ( myocardium) what peripatetic. For the function, cardiac muscle has ability affect excitement to electrical.
contraction activity of Heart to pump blood to all body always preceded by electrical activity. Electrical activity started at nodus sinoatrial ( nodus SA) is laying in gap between vena cavas superior and right atrium. At nodus SA starts depolarization wave spontaneously causing causes incidence [of] action potential propagated through atrium muscle cells, nodus atrioventrikuler ( nodus AV), bundle His, fiber Purkinje and finally to all ventricle muscle.

What Causes Heart Disease?

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