Sunday, August 2, 2009

Is Heart Diseaese Preventable


Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Heart disease is often thought of as an older woman's disease, and it is the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. Heart disease is a very general term, and is not a single condition, but an aggregation of different disease and conditions. Heart disease is a major cause of death throughout the world, and many of its variants are considered silent killers because of their asymptomatic nature. Heart disease is a broadly used term to describe several conditions, all of which are potentially fatal, but can be treated. Diseases of heart and stroke rank as the #1 killer of Latino Americans.

Heart disease begins when plaque buildup begins to adversely affect health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. Heart disease is on the rise, causing 27% of all deaths (650,000) in 2006 in the US. Heart attacks and strokes are by far the deadliest complications associated with heart disease. 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. Heart attacks occur more frequently among people who smoke. Heart attacks are common among people that are obese. Heart disease conditions, aside from coronary heart disease, other diseases classified under this condition include congenital heart defects, heart valves disease and heart attacks.

Women seem to become more vulnerable to heart disease only after their estrogen levels fall with menopause, and so they tend to suffer first heart attacks later than men. Women with diabetes have a higher risk for heart disease than men with diabetes. Women develop the condition later in life. Their symptoms are often different from men's or more subtle, and they are affected more by certain risk factors, such as high levels of triglycerides (a fat in the blood). Women still haven't gotten the message that heart disease, not cancer, is most likely to send them to their graves. Women often don't experience the hollywood like heart attack symptoms that men do, but women may experience fatigue, indigestion, shoulder jaw and neck pain. In 2004, all cardiovascular diseases combined caused the deaths of 461,152 American women. Women are more aware of their risk for heart disease now than in the past. Women and men are affected differently by a wide range of conditions.

Blood pressure can be reduced by losing weight, becoming more physically active, limiting alcohol intake and taking blood pressure medicine. 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 lower. Blood pressure is a measure of the force at which your blood flows through your veins.

Health trends documented over the past 30 years of reduction in risk for heart disease is not as strong as is widely perceived and, in fact, the trend has flattened, according to a new analysis of national data by Mayo Clinic. Healthy living and a heart healthy lifestyle are smart choices that can pay big dividends as we age. Health care expenditures are 36% higher for obese than for non obese persons.

Risk factors are divided into two categories, major and contributing. Learn which risk factors are inherited and which can be modified or controlled. Risk factors including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, may also be passed from one generation to another. Risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Strokes are caused by broken blood vessels, blood clots, or a lack of blood flow to the brain. Lifestyle risk factors that contribute to heart disease include lack of exercise, high fat diet, emotional stress, and having a type A personality (aggressive, impatient, competitive).

Cholesterol consists of two ingredients; HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Cholesterol should be closely monitored and tested on a regular basis. Cholesterol, a fat like substance carried in your blood, is found in all of your body's cells. Fatty deposits build up on blood vessel linings, which narrows the passage, causing the heart’s blood supply to decrease.

Coronary artery disease is a disease of the artery caused by the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium. Coronary artery disease is atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, producing blockages in the vessels which nourish the heart itself. Coronary artery disease, the most common form of cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death in America today. Coronary artery disease and the reduced blood flow that follows can lead to other heart problems, such as chest pain and heart attacks. Coronary heart disease is the most common form of heart disease in both men and women. Coronary heart disease is the most common kind of heart disease that causes deaths in the US.

Symptoms of heart disease include heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Symptoms of heart disease usually occur during exercise or activity. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach. Symptoms typically linked with this heart disease include shortness of breath, and chest pain.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women. Cardiovascular disease can take many forms like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, stroke, or rheumatic fever-rheumatic heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is any of a number of specific diseases that affect the heart itself or the blood vessel system, especially the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart.

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. Research on disease dimorphism suggests that women who suffer with cardiovascular disease usually suffer from forms that affect the blood vessels while men usually suffer from forms that affect the heart muscle itself.

The first step in preventing heart disease is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Treatment methods should be discussed with a physician, and keep in mind that many of the medications are available through prescription. Exercise continues to be important as the risk of heart disease doubles in people who remain inactive as opposed to those who don’t. Exercise helps to strengthen your heart and purify your bloodstream, preventing heart attacks and stroke.
Exercise also strengthens the heart muscle and makes the arteries more flexible.
Smoking also raises blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke in people who already have high blood pressure. Smoking is a major risk for several diseases including heart disease,stroke, and several cancers. Smoking causes fatty buildups in the arteries, blood clots, artery spasms and rhythm problems, which all contribute to these attacks.

Stress may also contribute to other risk factors. Stress is considered a contributing risk factor for heart disease because little is known about its effects. Stress can lead to hypertension and coping habits that raise cholesterol. Stressful situations raise your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the your heart's need for oxygen. Stress can increase the risk of heart disease, although we still do not know how this happens.

Lupus endocarditis usually causes the surfaces of the heart valve to thicken or develop wart like growths (lesions). Lupus can cause inflammation of the myocardium, the muscle tissue of your heart. Lupus is a chronic life long disease in which the immune system fails to tell the difference between foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria, and the body's own cells.

Heart disease is preventable as long as one consistently makes good lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise, consuming low sodium and fat diets, and avoiding alcohol and smoking are among these choices. Heart disease is commonly caused by atherosclerosis, and this process can also cause strokes. Heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women in the US, but many cases are preventable. Heart disease is a highly preventable and reversible disease. Heart disease is potentially reversible by attending to risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking. Heart disease is not caused by cholesterol alone and probably the root cause of heart disease is free radicals. Heart disease is reversible by decreasing free radicals and increasing HDL. Cancer, the second largest killer, accounts for only half as many deaths. Family members live together, eat together and can influence one another's attitudes toward smoking, exercise, weight, diet, portion sizes and other factors that have an impact on heart health and disease. Controlling your blood pressure and sugar, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking will also help you have a healthy heart, according to doctors. Reduce fat intake and include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.

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