World Heart Day is an international event observed annually on September 29th to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and promote heart health globally.
Heart disease includes a range of conditions that affect one’s heart like –Coronary Artery Disease (blood vessel disease of the heart); Heart Arrhythmias (heart rhythm problems); Congenital Heart Disease (inborn heart defects); Heart Valve Disease; Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle); and Heart Infections.
Heart disease signs and symptoms depend on what type of heart disease one have. However, the cardinal symptoms that warrant immediate medical attention include — chest pain, shortness of breath and fainting.
Complications
A blood clot blocking the blood flow through a blood vessel that feeds the heart — causes a heart attack, possibly damaging a part of the heart muscle. Atherosclerosis can cause a heart attack.
Heart failure occurs when one’s heart can’t pump enough blood to meet one’s body’s needs. Heart failure can result from many forms of heart disease — including heart defects, cardiovascular disease, valvular heart disease, heart infections or cardiomyopathy.
The risk factors that lead to cardiovascular disease can also lead to an ischemic stroke, which happens when the arteries to one’s brain are narrowed or blocked so that too little blood reaches one’s brain. A stroke is a medical emergency that warrants immediate medical attention. The brain tissue begins to die within just a few minutes of a stroke.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness, often caused by an arrhythmia. Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency, which if not treated immediately results in sudden cardiac death. A serious complication that can occur anywhere in one’s body. An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of one’s artery — which if bursts may lead to life-threatening internal bleeding.
When one develop peripheral artery disease, one’s extremities, usually legs — don’t receive enough blood flow, which causes symptoms — most notably leg pain while walking (claudication).
Risk Factors
Growing older increases one’s risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and a weakened or thickened heart muscle.Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. The risk for women increases after menopause.A family history of heart disease increases one’s risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a parent developed it at an early age.
Nicotine tightens one’s blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are more common in smokers than in non-smokers.A diet that’s high in fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol can contribute to the development of heart disease.Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of one’s arteries, narrowing the vessels through which blood flows.
High levels of cholesterol in one’s blood can increase the risk of plaque formation and atherosclerosis.Diabetes increases one’s risk of heart disease. Both conditions share similar risk factors — such as obesity and high blood pressure.Excess weight typically worsens other heart disease risk factors.
Lack of exercise is also associated with many forms of heart disease and some of its other risk factors as well.Unrelieved stress may damage one’s arteries and worsen other risk factors for heart disease.If one’s teeth and gums aren’t healthy, germs can enter their bloodstream and travel to their heart — causing endocarditis.
Prevention
In general, healthy lifestyle is the key. Recommendations include:
- Controlling high blood pressure — This is one of the most important things one can do to reduce their heart disease risk — exercising, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting the amount of sodium in diet and avoiding alcohol can all help to keep high blood pressure in check. In addition to recommending lifestyle changes, one may need to take medications to treat high blood pressure.
- Controlling diabetes — one can manage diabetes with diet, exercise, weight control and medications.
- Lowering the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in one’s diet — eating less cholesterol and fat especially saturated fat and Trans fats – may reduce the plaque formation in arteries. Besides dietary changes, one may need to take cholesterol-lowering medications.
- Exercising regularly — exercise reduces risk of heart disease in many ways. It can lower blood pressure, increase level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and improve the overall health of blood vessels and heart. It also helps in losing weight, control diabetes and reduce stress.
- Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables — a diet containing five or more daily servings of fruits or vegetables may reduce risk of heart disease. Following the diet which emphasizes olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables and whole grains may be helpful.
- Quitting tobacco use — smoking raises the risk of heart disease for smokers and non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. So quitting tobacco use reduces risk of heart disease.
- Avoiding alcohol — it can be a risk factor for heart disease. Heavy alcohol consumption increases risk of high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease and heart attack.
- Avoiding drug abuse — certain drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamines, are established risk factors for ischemic heart disease.
- Maintaining good oro-dental hygiene — it is important to brush and floss one’s teeth and gums often, and have regular dental check-ups.
- Anti-platelet drugs and anticoagulants are commonly used as preventive medications, called blood thinners. Platelets are cells in one’s blood that form clots. Anti-platelet drugs make these cells less sticky and less likely to clot.
(Author is a Physician and health columnist, RSSDI & IDF Certified in Diabetology, EACCME Accredited Physician, Member Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), Member American College of Physicians (USA), Member International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Member European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), and Member Endocrine Society (USA). Feedback: [email protected])
