Heart Disease

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The heart is one of the most important organ whose main function to pump blood throughout the body. Like other organs, the heart can also be attacked by various diseases.

Heart disease is a condition that causes the heart can not carry out its functions properly. There are a variety of disorders and diseases that can affect any part of the heart. The most common heart disease is coronary heart disease that can lead to sudden death heart attacks.

The cause of coronary heart disease is the narrowing and blockage of arteries due to excessive buildup of fatty substances in the lining of artery walls of the coronary vessels. It is influenced by a less healthy diet that accompanied sedentary lifestyle, cigarette addiction, hypertension, high cholesterol and thus affect the formation of blood clots. As a result blood flow to the heart is hampered thereby disrupting the blood vessels of the heart as a pump which in turn will trigger a heart attack.

In addition to coronary heart disease, there are also other heart diseases caused by abnormalities at birth such as an imperfect heart, heart valve disorders, and weakening of heart muscle. Another cause is the bacteria that cause infections of the heart.

Key Factors of Heart Disease Risk Exposure

To avoid the chance of heart disease, it helps us identify risk factors. Here are some risk factors that warrant concern:

1. Age and Gender. Men under age 50 are at higher risk compared with women in the same age group. After menopause, a woman's risk increases because of the sharp decline of the hormone estrogen is protective.
   
2. Descendants of the family. Research shows that if there is a history of heart problems in the family, their offspring are more likely to develop a similar problem. 
3. Diabetes (diabetes). Diabetics can suffer heart disease as a complication of the disease.
4. Smoking (exposed to cigarette smoke). Smoking is directly responsible for approximately 20 percent of all deaths from heart disease and nearly 50 percent of heart attack in women aged under 55 years old. Smoking increases blood pressure and include toxic chemicals such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, into the bloodstream. These chemicals, will further damage the arteries. Smokers also get them involved inhaling smoke are at risk of having problems at heart. Research reveals that people who do not smoke who live with smokers have an additional risk of heart attack. Therefore, by quitting smoking can reduce a person's own risk and can even save the lives of loved ones who do not smoke.
5. High blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure (hypertension) can injure the arterial wall and allows the channel to enter the arteries of LDL cholesterol and increase the accumulation of plaque. As the plaque deposits increased, there was more of a barrier to blood flow and thus there was an increase in blood pressure which increases the risk of heart attack.
6. Overweight (obesity). Excess weight increases the high blood pressure and abnormal amounts of fat. Avoid or treat obesity (overweight) is the main way to avoid diabetes. Diabetes would then increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
7. Sedentary lifestyle. People who are sedentary are at risk of heart attack is higher. They spend most of their day without being physically active and exercising regularly. Heart attacks often occur in these people after heavy activities such as working hard in the garden, jogging, lifting heavy loads, or shoveling snow. But the risk is decreased among those exercising regularly. The streets were relaxed for 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week can reduce the risk of attack. With regular exercise can improve the heart's ability to pump and can lower cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure. 
8. Stress (emotional distress). Based on the research, stress can cause this narrowing of the arteries and reduce blood flow to 27 percent. Narrowing of meaning can even be seen in arteries affected by mild disease. Other research suggests that severe stress can cause rupture of the arterial wall that trigger heart attacks.

Just to know the risk factors for the disease is not enough. Necessary action to prevent the occurrence of this disease. In addition, it is important to know the symptoms of heart disease. Rapid and precise handling can reduce the harm they cause. Please visit our Heart Disease Symptoms to find some common signs and symptoms of heart disease.