| Heart Disease |
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Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease:
Atherosclerosis is a common disorder of the arteries.The word atherosclerosis comes from two Greek words athero (meaning paste) and sclerosis (hardness). It means in plain language hardening of Blood vessels. What is Arteriosclerosis? Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive disease in which arteries become thicker and loose elasticity. Why does Blood Vessel Harden? The fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood) get attached to the inner lining of an artery. The buildup that results is called plaque. Plaque leads to thickening of blood vessels and in turn hardening of vessels. Why Plaque Forms? It is proposed by many that the innermost layer (called Endothelium) of the artery gets damaged. The possible causes of damage are: 1) Elevated levels of cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood 2) High blood pressure 3) Tobacco consumption 4) Diabetes Because of the damage fats, cholesterol, platelets, cellular waste and calcium get deposited in the artery wall. What can happen if Plaque forms in Artery? Plaque may partially or totally block the blood's flow through an artery. If the wall is thickened sufficiently, the diameter of the artery will be reduced and less blood will flow, thus decreasing the oxygen supply. It can also lead to bleeding and clot formation in artery. Often a blood clot forms and blocks the artery, stopping the flow of blood. 1) If the oxygen supply to the heart muscle is reduced, heart attack can occur. Tobacco smoke greatly worsens atherosclerosis and speeds its growth in the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries supply blood to Heart muscles. 2) If the oxygen supply to the brain is cut off, a stroke can occur 3) If the oxygen supply to the extremities occurs, gangrene can result. Atherosclerosis is often preventable by following a healthy lifestyle. Prevent plaque buildup, by eating a low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-salt diet. Treat and control of hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and other diseases. Lose weight if overweight, and stop smoking. Get regular exercise to improve the fitness of heart and circulation. Thus the Golden rules are: a. Do not smoke or use Tobacco products. b. Exercise c. Eat a Healthy Diet d. Maintain healthy weight e. Regular Check-ups. Heart disease can be prevented. It does not mean self-deprivation. It means adjusting your life to a healthy way of living.
Causes of Heart Disease |
Alcohol heart disease: Protect Your Heart United States alone sees 100,000 excess deaths due to alcohol-related diseases every year. In UK it is one of the commonest causes of Hospital admissions. Same pattern of mortality and morbidity can be seen across the globe.... Canine Heart Disease: Be Your Dogs Best Friend: Heart disease affects an estimated 15% of dogs. Thus making it the second most common cause of death after cancer in Dogs. The common problem is Congestive Heart failure in canines this can lead to death. Heart... Different types of heart disease: Heart disease and its causes: The function of the heart is to pump freshly oxygenated blood to all the cells in the body. If the heart fails to supply enough blood or due to its defects or disorder cannot supply blood at all then it is called... Heart disease Hereditary: develops can be related to the presence of risks factors. For example, patients who have ischemic heart disease where the blood supply to the heart has decreased , rate at which this disease develops or progresses is influenced by many risks... Heart disease Prevention: may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Heart disease. Such as Control weigh, Healthy diet, Low-fat diet, Quit smoking, Physical activity, Control diabetes, Control blood pressure, Control cholesterol, Folic... Heart disease statistics: Statistical study: Statistical update provides a quick overview of the latest year's statistics that can be compared to previous year's statistics. The American heart association works with government agencies to draw annual statistics for... Heart disease: Heart diseases are number of different diseases, which affect the heart. The most common heart diseases are mentioned below: 1. Coronary heart disease is the end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries,... Obesity and heart disease Obesity is an alarmingly growing problem in the developed world. Sometimes it makes one sit up and wonder, "Is this the price we pay for development". By definition, obesity means simply being overweight. However, the interpretation of this is... Vitamin E and Heart disease: Coronary artery disease is the term used to describe the gradual narrowing of the coronary arteries. The narrowing is caused by the building up of fatty deposits (atheroma) within the inner lining of the coronary arteries The atheroma contains... What is heart disease? The Heart of the Matter: Coughs and colds are probably diseases that we all can pray for. Why, you ask me. That's because there are some immediate symptoms of these infections. There may be no symptom for diseases like heart diseases. ... |
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