Archive for the ‘Heart Disease’ Category
What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is a broad term. Problems can occur in heart muscle, arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle or valves in the heart to pump blood in the right direction. Understand the differences between the various heart diseases can help with applications confusing term heart disease. Coronary artery disease or CAD is the most common form of heart disease and the most common cause of death in both sexes in coronary artery disease in the U.S. affects the arteries of the heart muscle. These coronary arteries harden and narrow due to the accumulation of cholesterol called waxy, fat plate. This buildup of plaque is called atherosclerosis. The increase in plaque buildup causes the coronary arteries to narrow. This causes restricted blood flow, reducing the amount of oxygen to the heart muscle. The decrease in the amount of oxygen delivered to the heart muscle can angina (chest pain) and lead to a heart attack. Coronary artery disease can weaken over time the heart muscle that contribute to heart failure and arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
Coronary artery disease is a different kind of confusion of heart disease. Coronary heart disease is not the same as coronary heart disease. While heart disease refers to coronary arteries, coronary heart disease refers to coronary artery disease and complications. These include complications such as chest pain, heart attack and the scar tissue caused by a heart attack. Understanding this subtle difference between the two may impress your cardiologist. Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease. Cardiomyopathy can be genetic or due to a viral infection. Cardiomyopathy can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary cardiomyopathy is attributed to a specific cause (hypertension, congenital heart disease, valvular disease). Secondary cardiomyopathy is attributed to specific causes (diseases of other organs). There are three main types of cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is enlargement and stretching of the heart muscle. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes thickening of the heart muscle. Restrictive cardiomyopathy causes the blood flow to the ventricles too rigid making it difficult between heartbeats in the ventricles. Read the rest of this entry »
Heart Disease Prevention
Cardiovascular diseases are not only myocardial infarction and heart failure but also other diseases whose development is related to the progression of atherosclerosis, such as stroke (cerebral thrombosis) and other circulatory diseases that primarily affect lower limbs increasingly tend to include other diseases related to vascular damage such as chronic renal failure, according to the Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid in a press release. In our environment, these diseases are the leading cause of death and their contribution to disability, especially the elderly, is very important.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Over 25 percent of all deaths are due to heart problems. It is also a major cause of disability. The risk of heart disease increases with age. Your risk is greater if a male over 45 or women over 55. Also if you have close relatives who had heart disease at an early age.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to reduce your chances of getting heart disease. Among them:
- Know your blood pressure and keep it under control
- Exercise regularly
- No smoking
- Be tested for diabetes and if so, keep it under control
- Know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and keep them under control
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
- Maintain a healthy weight