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disease is a term covering any disorder of the heart.
Unlike
cardiovascular disease, which describes problems with the blood vessels and
circulatory system as well as the heart, heart disease refers to issues and
deformities in the heart itself.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the
leading cause of death in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and
Australia. One in every four
deaths in the U.S. occurs as a result of heart disease.
Fast facts on heart disease
·
One
in every four deaths in the U.S. is related to heart disease.
·
Coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, and myocardial infarction are some examples of
heart disease.
·
Heart
disease might be treated with medication or surgery.
·
Quitting smoking and exercising regularly can help
prevent heart disease.
Types
There are many different types of heart disease.
There are many types of heart disease that affect different parts of the
organ and occur in different ways.
Congenital heart disease
This is a general term for some deformities of the heart that have been
present since birth. Examples include:
·
Septal
defects: There is a hole between the
two chambers of the heart.
·
Obstruction
defects: The flow of blood through various chambers of the heart is partially
or totally blocked.
·
Cyanotic
heart disease: A defect in the heart causes a shortage of oxygen around the
body.
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat.
There are several ways in which a heartbeat can lose its regular rhythm.
These include:
·
tachycardia, when the heart beats too fast
·
bradycardia,
when the heart beats too slowly
·
premature
ventricular contractions, or additional, abnormal beats
·
fibrillation,
when the heartbeat is irregular
Arrhythmias occur when the electrical impulses in the heart that
coordinate the heartbeat do not work properly. These make the heart beat in a
way it should not, whether that be too fast, too slowly, or too erratically.
Irregular heartbeats are common, and all people experience them. They feel
like a fluttering or a racing heart. However, when they change too much or
occur because of a damaged or weak heart, they need to be taken more seriously
and treated.
Arrhythmias can become fatal.
Coronary artery disease
The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with nutrients and oxygen by
circulating blood.
Coronary arteries can become diseased or damaged, usually because of
plaque deposits that contain cholesterol.
Plaque buildup narrows the coronary arteries, and this causes the heart to
receive less oxygen and nutrients.
Dilated cardiomyopathy
The heart chambers become dilated as a result of heart muscle weakness and
cannot pump blood properly. The most common reason is that not enough oxygen
reaches the heart muscle, due to coronary artery disease. This usually affects
the left ventricle.
Myocardial infarction
This is also known as a heart attack, cardiac infarction, and coronary
thrombosis. An interrupted blood flow damages or destroys part of the heart
muscle. This is usually caused by a blood clot that develops in one of the
coronary arteries and can also occur if an artery suddenly narrows or spasms.
Heart failure
Also known as congestive heart failure, heart failure occurs when the
heart does not pump blood around the body efficiently.
The left or right side of the heart might be affected. Rarely, both sides are.
Coronary artery disease or high blood pressure can, over time, leave
the heart too stiff or weak to fill and pump properly.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
This is a genetic disorder in which the wall of the left ventricle
thickens, making it harder for blood to be pumped out of the heart. This is the
leading cause of sudden death in athletes. A parent with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy has a 50 percent chance
of passing the disorder on to their children.
Mitral regurgitation
Also known as mitral valve regurgitation, mitral insufficiency, or mitral
incompetence, this occurs when the mitral valve in the heart does not close
tightly enough. This allows blood to flow back into the heart when it should
leave. As a result, blood cannot move through the heart or the body efficiently.
People with this type of heart condition often feel tired and out of
breath.
Mitral valve prolapse
The valve between the left atrium and left ventricle does not fully close,
it bulges upwards, or back into the atrium. In most people, the condition is not
life-threatening, and no treatment is required. Some people, especially if the
condition is marked by mitral regurgitation, may require treatment.
Pulmonary stenosis
It becomes hard for the heart to pump blood from the right ventricle into
the pulmonary artery because the pulmonary valve is too tight. The right
ventricle has to work harder to overcome the obstruction. An infant with severe
stenosis can turn blue. Older children will generally have no symptoms.
Treatment is needed if the pressure in the right ventricle is too high,
and a balloon valvuloplasty or open-heart surgery may be performed to clear an
obstruction.
Symptoms
The symptoms of heart disease depend on which condition is affecting an
individual.
However, common symptoms include chest pain, breathlessness, and heart
palpitations. The chest pain common to many types of heart disease is known as angina, or angina pectoris, and occurs when a
part of the heart does not receive enough oxygen.
Angina can be triggered by stressful events or physical exertion and
normally lasts under 10 minutes.
Heart attacks can also occur as a result of different types of heart
disease. The signs of a heart attack are similar to angina except that they can
occur during rest and tend to be more severe.
The symptoms of a heart attack can sometimes resemble indigestion. Heartburn and a stomach ache can occur, as
well as a heavy feeling in the chest.
Other symptoms of a heart attack include:
·
pain
that travels through the body, for example from the chest to the arms, neck,
back, abdomen, or jaw
·
lightheadedness
and dizzy sensations
·
profuse
sweating
·
nausea
and vomiting
Heart failure is also an outcome of heart disease, and breathlessness can
occur when the heart becomes too weak to circulate blood.
Some heart conditions occur with no symptoms at all, especially in older
adults and individuals with diabetes.
The term 'congenital heart disease' covers a range of
conditions, but the general symptoms include:
·
sweating
·
high
levels of fatigue
·
fast
heartbeat and breathing
·
breathlessness
·
chest
pain
·
a
blue tint to the skin
·
clubbed
fingernails
In severe cases, symptoms can occur from birth. However, these symptoms
might not develop until a person is older than 13 years.
Causes
Heart disease is caused by damage to all or part of the heart, damage to
the coronary arteries, or a poor supply of nutrients and oxygen to the organ.
Some types of heart disease, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, are genetic.
These, alongside congenital heart defects, can occur before a person is born.
There are a number of lifestyle choices that can increase the risk of
heart disease. These include:
·
high
blood pressure and cholesterol
·
smoking
·
overweight
and obesity
·
diabetes
·
family
history
·
a
diet of junk food
·
age
·
a
history of preeclampsia during pregnancy
·
staying
in a stationary position for extended periods of time, such as sitting at work
Having any of these risk factors greatly increases the risk of heart
disease. Some, such as age, are unavoidable. For example, once a woman reaches
55 years of age, heart disease becomes more likely.
Treatment
There are two main lines of treatment for heart disease. Initially, a
person can attempt to treat the heart condition using medications. If these do
not have the desired effect, surgical options are available to help correct the
issue.
Medication
A very wide range of medication is available for the majority of heart
conditions. Many are prescribed to prevent blood clots, but some serve other
purposes.
The main medications in use are:
·
statins,
for lowering cholesterol
·
blood
thinners, such as warfarin, for preventing blood clots
·
beta-blockers, for treating heart attack, heart failure, and
high blood pressure
·
angiotensin-converting
enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, for heart failure and high blood pressure
Your doctor will work with you to find a medication that is safe and
effective. They will also use medications to treat underlying conditions that
can affect the heart, such as diabetes before they become problematic.
Surgery
Heart surgery is an option for people with heart disease, but it can be debilitating.
Heart surgery is an intensive option from which it can take a long time to
recover.
However, they can be effective in treating blockages and heart problems
for which medications may not be effective, especially in the advanced stages
of heart disease.
The most common surgeries include:
·
angioplasty,
in which a balloon catheter is inserted to widen narrowed blood vessels that
might be restricting blood flow to the heart
·
coronary
artery bypass surgery, which allows blood flow to reach a blocked part of the
heart in people with blocked arteries
·
surgery
to repair or replace faulty heart valves
·
pacemakers,
or electronic machines that regulate a heartbeat for people with arrhythmia
Heart transplants are another option. However, it is often difficult to
find a suitable heart of the right size and blood type in the required time.
People are put on a waiting list for donor organs and can sometimes wait years.
Prevention
Some types of heart disease, such as those that are present from birth,
cannot be prevented.
Other types, however, can be prevented by taking the following measures:
·
Eat
a balanced diet. Stick to low-fat, high-fiber foods and be sure to consume five
portions of fresh fruit and vegetables each day. Increase your intake of whole
grains and reduce the amount of salt and sugar in the diet. Make sure the fats
in the diet are mostly unsaturated.
·
Exercise
regularly. This will strengthen the heart and circulatory system, reduce
cholesterol, and maintain blood pressure.
·
Maintain
a healthy body weight for
your height. Click here to
calculate your current and target body mass index (BMI).
·
If
you smoke, quit. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart and cardiovascular
conditions.
·
Reduce
the intake of alcohol. Do not drink more than 14 units per week.
·
Control
conditions that affect heart health as a complication, such as high blood
pressure or diabetes.
While these steps do not completely eliminate the risk of heart disease,
they can help improve overall health and greatly reduce the chances of heart
complications.
Statistics
Exercise is one easy way to keep heart disease at bay.
Heart disease is the most common cause of death for both sexes. Here are
some statistics
demonstrating the scale of heart disease in the U.S.
·
Heart
disease causes the deaths of around 630,000 people in the U.S. each year.
·
In
the U.S., a person has a heart attack every 40 seconds, and at least one person
dies per minute from an event related to heart problems.
·
The
health burden placed by heart disease on the U.S. economy is around $200
billion.
·
The
most common type of heart disease is coronary heart disease.
·
Mississippi
is the state with the highest rate of death from heart disease at 233.1 deaths
per 100,000 members of the population. The state is closely followed by
Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, and Louisiana. Minnesota, Hawaii, and Colorado
have the lowest rates.
News
Advances are being made every day in the research and treatment of heart
disease.
A recent study, to be presented at 2018's annual Radiological Society of
North America meeting, has shown that fat distribution across the body
increases the risk of heart disease and other cardiometabolic
conditions in women.
The 69th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India recently
saw the presentation of findings that showed the risk of heart disease increase by 500 percent with baldness
and gray hair in men.
Smoking just one cigarette each day can increase the risk of heart
disease, according to a new study in the BMJ. The
research suggests that cutting out cigarettes completely is
the only way to reduce this risk, as opposed to simply cutting down the number
of cigarettes.
In other news, a study in the New England Journal of
Medicine has linked flu to heart attacks in
groups of people who are at risk of heart disease.
A new study also suggests that restless leg syndrome (RLS) may also
increase the risk of death from heart-related conditions,
especially in older women.
To keep up with the developments on heart disease, click here for all the
latest news and research.
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