Posts Tagged ‘coronary artery disease’
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What is Heart Disease?
Cardiovascular disease is a very broad term. Cardiovascular disease refers to diseases of the heart (cardio) and diseases of the blood vessels (vascular), hence cardio-vascular disease. However, diseases affecting the heart are referred to as heart disease.
The term heart disease is a very broad term. Problems can arise within the heart muscle, arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle, or the valves within the heart that pump blood in the correct direction. Understanding the differences between each disease of the heart can help with the confusing applications of the term heart disease. Coronary artery disease or CAD is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in both genders in the U.S. Coronary artery disease affects the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle. These coronary arteries harden and narrow due to the buildup of a waxy cholesterol, fatty substance referred to as plaque.
This plaque buildup is known as atherosclerosis. The increase in plaque buildup causes the coronary arteries to become narrower. This will cause blood flow to become restricted, decreasing the amount of oxygen delivered to the heart muscle. Decreasing the amount of oxygen supplied to the heart muscle can cause angina (chest pain) and lead to a heart attack. Coronary artery disease over time can weaken the heart muscle contributing to heart failure and arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
Coronary heart disease is another confusing type of heart disease. Coronary heart disease is not the same thing as coronary artery disease. While coronary artery disease refers to the coronary arteries, coronary heart disease refers to the diseases of the coronary arteries and resulting complications. This includes such complications such as chest pain, a heart attack, and the scar tissue caused by the heart attack. Understanding this subtle difference between the two may impress your cardiologist.
Cardiomyopathy is a disease affecting the muscle of the heart. Cardiomyopathy can be genetic or caused by a viral infection. Cardiomyopathy can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary cardiomyopathy is attributed to a specific cause (hypertension, congenital heart defects, heart valve disease). Secondary cardiomyopathy is attributed to specific causes (diseases affecting other organs).
There are three main types of cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is enlargement and stretching of the cardiac muscle. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes thickening of the heart muscle. Restrictive cardiomyopathy causes the ventricles of the heart to become excessively rigid causing blood flow to the ventricles to be difficult between heartbeats.
Valvular heart disease is a disease that affects the valves of the heart. Valves within the heart keep the blood flowing in the correct direction. Damage to valves can be caused by a variety of conditions leading to regurgitation or insufficiency (leaking valve), prolapse (improper closing of the valve), or stenosis (narrowing of the valve). Valvular heart disease can be genetic. Valvular heart disease can also be caused by certain infections such as rheumatic fever, and certain medications or radiation treatments for cancer.
The pericardium is a sac that encompasses the heart. Pericardial disease is inflammation (pericarditis), stiffness (constrictive pericarditis), or fluid accumulation (pericardial effusion) of the pericardium. Pericardial disease can be caused by many things such as occurring after a heart attack.
Congenital heart disease is a form of heart disease that develops before birth. Congenital heart disease is an extremely broad term. However, these diseases usually affect the formation of the heart muscle, chambers, or valves. A few examples include coarctation or a narrowing of a section of the aorta; atrial or ventricular septal defect is referred to as holes in the heart. Congenital heart disease should be classified more accurately as an inborn defect that occurs in around 1% of births. Congenital heart disease may be inherited (heredity), or caused by certain infections such as German measles contracted while pregnant. However, researchers are currently studying factors that may cause congenital heart disease.
Heart failure is another type of heart disease characterized by the hearts inability to effectively pump enough blood to the bodys organs and tissues. When the bodys vital organs do not receive enough blood flow certain signs and symptoms can occur such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and fluid retention. Congestive heart failure is a type of heart failure that leads to fluid buildup in the body. It is important to note that not all heart failure is congestive. Heart failure may result from other cardiovascular diseases such as cardiomyopathy or coronary heart disease. Heart failure may come on suddenly or develop over many years.
The month of February is the National Heart Disease awareness month. However, heart disease awareness should be each and every day. With staggering statistics, awareness begins with understanding the different types of heart disease. A diet and lifestyle that is conducive to heart health can mean the difference between life and being a statistic.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristy Haugen is a mother and an experienced nurse. She also has a bachelor degree in Biology and Chemistry. She writes to inform consumers about nutrition and health topics. Learn more about weight loss supplements at http://weightlosssupplements.vitaminmaniac.com . Learn more about vitamins and your health at http://blog.vitaminmaniac.com .
Written By: Kristy Haugen
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Viagra Is Good for the Heart
Copyright 2005 Daily News Central
Viagra (Sildenafil citrate), which millions of men take for erectile dysfunction (ED), reduces the effects of hormonal stress on the heart by half, according to a study published online in the journal Circulation.
Viagra causes genital blood vessels to expand, which helps in maintaining an erection. Recent research also has pointed to its potential usefulness in treating pulmonary hypertension. Prior to the latest findings by a team of Johns Hopkins researchers, it was thought to have little effect on the heart.
Viagra, or sildenafil, blunts the strengthened heart beat caused by chemically induced stress, according to study senior author and cardiologist David Kass, MD, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Heart Institute. It thereby lessens both the excess amount of blood and the force used to pump it to the body.
“Sildenafil effectively puts a ‘brake’ on chemical stimulation of the heart,” says Kass.
Prevents and Reverses Effects of High BP
These findings are believed to be the first confirmation in humans that Viagra has a direct effect on the heart. In earlier research, Kass and his team observed a similar effect in mice; Sildenafil blocked the short-term effects of hormonal stress in the heart.
Related studies by the group show that sildenafil also prevents and reverses the long-term effects of chronic high blood pressure on the heart.
Sildenafil reversed the negative effects on heart muscle weakened by heart failure and enlargement — a condition called hypertrophy — in mouse experiments Kass and his team carried out earlier this year. They reported their results in the journal Nature Medicine.
“But we had no firm evidence as to whether or how this therapy might work in the human heart,” says Kass. “Our latest research provides firm evidence this drug does indeed have an important impact on the heart.”
Increased Heartbeat Was Slowed
Thirty-five healthy men and women, with an average age of 30 and no previous signs of coronary artery disease, participated in the six-month Johns Hopkins study. Within a three-hour timeframe, each participant received two separate injections of dobutamine (5 micrograms per kilogram for five minutes), a synthetic, adrenaline-like chemical that increases heart rate and pumping strength.
Between injections, study participants were assigned randomly to a group that was treated with sildenafil (100 milligrams taken orally) or to a group given a sugar pill placebo. All participants then were given the second dobutamine injection to see what effects sildenafil or placebo had on the heart.
Measurements of heart function were made before and after each injection. These included blood pressure readings, electrocardiograms and echocardiograms. Blood samples confirmed relatively equal levels of sildenafil and other enzymes.
Each dobutamine injection stimulated heart function, increasing heart rate and the force of each heartbeat used to pump blood throughout the body, results showed.
“This stimulation is similar to the way the nervous system normally increases heart function when triggered by emotional or exercise stress, or in diseases such as heart failure,” notes Kass.
After the first injection of dobutamine, the force of heart contraction increased by 150 percent in both groups. In the placebo group, this increase repeated itself after the second injection. However, in the group treated with sildenafil, the increased heartbeat was slowed by 50 percent, resulting in a smaller increase in blood flow and blood pressure generated by the heart in response to chemical stimulation.
Between injections, heart function was not altered in the sildenafil group, demonstrating the absence of adverse side effects on the resting human heart.
Stops PDE5A Action
“Knowing more about the effects of sildenafil on heart function will allow for safer evaluation of its use as a treatment for heart problems,” says Kass.
“Our results set the stage for further studies of sildenafil’s immediate and long-term effects on the heart and its ability to modify other neurohormonal and stress stimuli, including adrenaline and hypertension,” he adds.
While the precise biological actions of sildenafil in the heart are not fully understood, the drug is known to work by stopping the action of an enzyme, called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5A), Kass explains. This enzyme is involved in the breakdown of a key molecule, cyclic GMP, which helps control stresses and limit overgrowth in the heart.
PDE5A is also the biological pathway that sildenafil blocks in the penis to prevent the relaxation of blood vessels and thus maintain erections.
About the Author
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com
Written By: Rita Jenkins
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The Elimination of Heart Attack – Is it Possible?
Heart disease is the largest killer of Americans — more people in the United States die from diseases of the heart and blood vessels than all other diseases combined. Despite the fact that our country has the best heart hospitals and the finest cardiovascular specialists in the world, the heart attack rate here is not substantially different than the heart attack rate in any other country.
The most common culprit in this deadly scenario is atherosclerosis — premature plaque build up, which clogs the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with vital oxygen and nutrients.
Seventy percent of heart attacks take place in coronary blood vessels that are not severely blocked enough to require balloon, stent, or bypass. These small, unstable plaques that are barely visible at angiography are often the culprit lesions where heart attacks occur.
For one-third of patients with atherosclerosis, death is their first symptom. Another third experience heart attack and almost half of those are dead in one month.
We now have the tests and drugs to abolish coronary heart disease in the first quarter of the 21st century. Lifestyle intervention with exercise, nutrition, weight control, smoking elimination, and stress management would likely reduce by more than 50 percent the expression of premature cardiovascular disease through control of risks such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and the sedentary life.
Fortunately, we are now living in an era blessed by the promulgation of incredible pharmacologic advances that allow us to actually ponder the extinction of atherosclerotic heart attack. Four drug classes now exist that if prescribed appropriately and aggressively could eliminate atherosclerosis. These four classes include: aspirin, statin, ACE and niacin. Heres how they work:
1) Aspirin: The drug inhibits the platelets that form the clot that adheres to the unstable, fractured plaque, which could potentially block blood flow down the coronary artery and cause a heart attack. Research has consistently shown the benefits of aspirin therapy to generally reduce vascular events by about 20 percent for those suspected of having atherosclerosis (Physicians Health Study, 2003).
2) Statin: There are several of these plaque drugs on the market, which are often mistaken for cholesterol drugs. This distinction is important: 30 to 50 percent of patients with atherosclerotic plaque have relatively normal cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that even patients with normal cholesterol profiles have fewer cardiovascular events when taking a statin drug.
3) ACE Inhibitors: These medicines have traditionally been used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure. However, recent trials have shown them to be highly beneficial to those with coronary artery disease even if blood pressure is normal, reducing heart attack death by an additional 26 percent in the heart outcome prevention education. Therefore, the benefits of the ACE inhibitor seem to extend beyond the lowering of blood pressure. This should encourage us to clamor to receive such medication even if our blood pressure is normal.
4) Niacin: The vitamin niacin has long been known to benefit the heart. As early as 1975, the Coronary Drug Project showed that high doses of niacin contributed to a 27 percent reduction in coronary events when compared with placebo.
For prevention to work, each person must take control of their health and proactively take steps towards a healthier heart. A good place to start is by becoming a more informed and educated healthcare consumer. I encourage people to get all the information they can, by talking to their doctor, researching on the Internet, and reading.
Another avenue for education is healthcare seminars. Houston is going to be hosting Cardeo, a consumer education event, Feb. 12 to15, 2004. This Medical Conference & Consumer Expo will bring together an estimated 20,000 healthcare professionals, patients, insurers, vendors and the general public to discuss the complete eradication of heart disease, which is an extremely achievable goal. The event will move the community towards true prevention.
In reality . . . the patient has to be the one to decide to take control and then the healthcare system will move in that direction.
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
Written By: ARA
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Understanding Heart Disease
UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF YOUR HEART AND HEART DISEASE
Understand the basics associated with your heart and blood vessels. Here you will get an understanding of all the different types of cardiovascular disease that can be confusing. Get a basic overview of cardiovascular disease and the conditions that can affect your heart and blood vessels.
You probably hear a lot about preventing heart disease. But maybe you’re not sure what heart disease is. Is it the same thing as cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease or other heart terms you sometimes see?
With many medical terms related to the heart and blood vessels, it’s no wonder you may be puzzled or confused. Here you will have a chance to brush up on some basic terms about cardiovascular disease (CVD) that can help you stay more informed. This can then help you when you’re watching the news or meeting with your doctor.
The first term to know is Cardiovascular Disease or CVD. CVD is a broad term. CVD is a large collection of diseases and conditions.
If you want to be technical, CVD refers to any disorder in any of the various parts of your heart system. Your cardiovascular system consists of your heart and all the blood vessels throughout your whole body.
Cardiovascular disease has two main mechanisms:
Diseases of the Heart (cardio)
Diseases of the Blood Vessels (vascular)
Everything from an aneurysm to a heart attack to varicose veins are all types of CVD. You may be born with a type of CVD (congenital) or you may acquire others later on in life possibly from a lifetime of unhealthy habits, lack of exercise, smoking, and other factors.
Here’s a closer look at the two mechanisms of cardiovascular disease.
Diseases of the Heart
The diseases and conditions that affect the heart are in a group known as heart disease. The heart consists of a muscle that pumps blood. Arteries supply blood to the heart muscle, and the valves make sure that the blood within the heart is pumped in the right direction. Problems can occur in any of these areas.
Just like CVD, Heart Disease is a broad term.
Here are the specific types of heart disease:
**Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
**Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
**Cardiomyopathy
**Valvular heart disease
**Pericardial disease
**Congenital heart disease
**Heart failure (CHF)
Diseases of the Blood Vessels
Blood vessels are in basic terms hollow tubes that carry blood to the organs and tissues throughout your body.
There are 4 basic types of blood vessels:
Arteries. These blood vessels carry oxygenated blood to all parts of the body
Veins. These blood vessels carry deoxygenated blood back to your heart. That is why they have a bluish cast to their color
Capillaries. These are tiny vessels that connect your arteries and veins.
Lymphatics. Fluid that leaks out of your capillaries in order to bathe your cells.
Here are some types of blood vessel disorders:
**Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis
**High blood pressure (HBP) or Hypertension (HTN)
**Stroke
**Aneurysm
**Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and claudication
**Vasculitis
**Venous incompetence
**Venous thrombosis or blood clot
**Varicose veins
**Lymphedema
Heart Disease is a serious condition. Watch your fatty food intake, smoking, as well as your sweet tooth intake. Both can cause serious heart problems.
It is best to start out slow when changing your diet. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to start.
About the author:
F. Kuhn, RN specializing in cardiac and diabetic teaching
http://www.heartnewscenter.com
http://www.diabetestestingcenter.com
Written By: F. Kuhn, RN
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What you need to know about heart diseases
Heart is the most significant organ of the body. It controls and regulates the entire body. An individual can survive the loss of other organs of body but not of a heart. The moment heart ceases pumping blood to the body, it results in a heart stroke and there are chances that the person may die.
But people are often negligent in taking care of this undeniably crucial organ of their body. This is made evident by the studies that reveal the escalating deaths due to cardiac arrests every year. It is not just the elderly who are gripped by cardiac seizures due to their age, which implicates a declining health but also young children, and even infants who are inflicted by heart ailments.
The purpose of this article is to make its readers aware of some of the most common cardiac problems, few possible preventions and cures to them and the measures one should adopt to enjoy a healthy heart.
1.Heart diseases- human heart starts malfunctioning due to many reasons. In other words there are different diseases that affect human heart.
Congenital Heart Disease is a very common one. It leads to malformation of heart during prenatal development and other severe complications. Chromosomal abnormalities, transfer of infected genes and environment are the main attributed causes to congenital heart disease.
Coronary Artery Disease is one where heart simply stops pumping blood to the arteries. The blockages or difficulty in the blood flow to the main source of oxygen to the heart muscle i.e. coronary arteries is deemed to be the primary factor that results in this disease. Apart from this the thickening of the arteries called arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and other problems like asthma, diabetes etc. are the causes of CAD. CAD produces a heart attack and so even the death of the concerned individual.
A viral infection that attacks the pericardium pouch enveloping the heart is the ground for the Pericardial heart disorder.
2.The Roots of Heart Ailment- in most of the cases the individuals themselves are responsible for their cardiac troubles.
Over stress is the biggest threat to a healthy life so much so that it affects even ones heart.
Faulty food habits i.e. eating more of junk and fattening food rich in cholesterol is the primary reason for a heart attack.
Obesity and lack of physical labor also accentuates cardiac problems.
Heart problems are also hereditary.
Blood pressure patients are more prone to heart attacks.
Alcoholics, smokers and drug addicts have acute possibilities of heart failure.
3.Some Common Cures- it is not likely to prevent every heart problem especially those malformations or diseases that are innate or since the time of birth. They can at best be treated with the aid of surgeries.
Watch your eating and drinking habits. Avoid cholesterol abounding food like butter, cheese, creams, cakes and pastries etc.
Aspirin is deemed to be a potential medicine to ward off cardiac snags. According to physicians aspirin thins the blood and aids in its transfer from heart to other parts of the body.
Pregnant women are advised to keep away from hard drinks, cigarettes and narcotics. Negligence in this regard can be a source of incurable congenital heart disease to the baby.
If you are a sedentary worker, make it a point to exercise daily in order to maintain a healthy living.
Endeavor your best to have a nutritious and balanced diet.
If you suffer from diabetes, blood pressure, asthma or any such disease, go for regular medical check ups to know about the functioning of the internal organs of your body.
Last but not the least, avoid doing things that petrify you and do not favor your health. For instance if altitude or great height scares you, it is not a prudent choice to go for mountain climbing.
About the Author
Mansi gupta writes about heart diseases topics.
Written By: Mansi gupta
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Abnormal Beating of the Heart: Cardiac Arrhythmias
Heart has a rhythmic capability to beat and pump blood to our body and remarkably, does so without fail, throughout our life. The rhythm has been destined to beat in certain prefixed numerical limits and with certain regularity. Arrhythmias are disorders characterized by abnormal beating of the heart. Arrhythmias can occur in a healthy heart and be of minimal consequence. At the same time they may co-exist with diseased heart and may be life-threatening or may cause, stroke, heart failure or sudden death.
An arrhythmia occurs when the normal electrical cycle of the heart is disturbed. Normally, tiny currents activate the upper part of the heart, just before the bottom part of the heart, which are the muscular chambers that pump blood around the body. Fast arrhythmias are referred to as ‘tachyarrhythmias’. When the heart goes too slowly due to a failure of electrical activation, it is referred to as a brady arrhythmia. Most arrhythmias arising from the top of the heart are troublesome but not life-threatening. Many arrhythmias arising from the lower of the heart, are life-threatening.
Causes of Cardiac Arrhythmias
Some cardiac arrhythmias result from congenital heart defects that run in families. Others arise from a variety of diseases that develop in individuals over a period of years. Others still result from sudden events such as heart attack. They may also be the result of excessive alcohol, smoking or certain drugs. Rarely despite extensive investigations no cause is found of their occurrence. Cardiac arrhythmias may be symptomatic or may cause a variety of warning symptoms such as palpitations or rapid thumping in the chest, feeling tired or light-headed, getting unconscious, having shortness of breath or chest pain.
Types of Arrhythmias
Following are the different types of cardiac arrhythmias:
1. Atrial fibrillation: The heart beats too fast and irregularly. This type of arrhythmia requires treatment and can increase risk of stroke.
2. Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia: The heart has episodes when it beats fast, but regularly. This type of arrhythmia may be unpleasant but is usually not dangerous.
3. Ectopic beats: The heart has an extra beat. Treatment usually is not needed unless you have several extra beats in row and/or other problems with your heart – such as heart disease or congenital heart failure.
4. Ventricular tachycardia: The heart beats too fast and may not pump enough blood. These types of arrhythmias are very dangerous and need immediate treatment.
The Remedy
Treatment depends on the type of cardiac arrhythmia you have. Some mild arrhythmias require no treatment. Other arrhythmias can be treated with medicines. In more serious cases, other treatments are available:
1. Drugs.
2. A pacemaker: An electronic device placed under the skin on the chest. It helps the heart maintain a regular beat, especially when the heart beats too slowly.
3. Implantable cardiac defibrillation: Can be used to stop an abnormal rhythm and restore a normal one.
4. Surgery: Can correct certain types of arrhythmias. For example, arrhythmias caused by coronary artery disease may be controlled by bypass surgery. When an cardiac arrhythmia is causes by a certain area of the heart, sometimes that part of the heart can be destroyed or removed.
About the author:
Lindsay Fox is a veteran of the alternative medicine industry and has a wealth of knowledge on Vaginal Warts. More info: Warts Genital
Written By: Lindsay Fox
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