Heart Disease and Associated Problems

To be told you have heart disease can strike fear into anyone hearing it for the first time, however it’s not as bad as it sounds.

In this article I am going to explain some of the terms, causes and remedies associated with heart disease.

Heart disease is a general term used to describe several different conditions, all of which are potentially fatal, but are also treatable and/or preventable.

To be told you have heart disease can strike fear into anyone hearing it for the first time, however it’s not as bad as it sounds.

In this article I am going to explain some of the terms, causes and remedies associated with heart disease.

Heart disease is a general term used to describe several different conditions, all of which are potentially fatal, but are also treatable and/or preventable.

Heart disease is primarily a disease of lifestyle, and is largely preventable through risk factor awareness and modification.

However it is a serious condition and if ignored it is a major cause for heart attacks (myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, stroke, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and ischemia (reduced blood flow).

The most common form of heart disease is coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease

CORONARY

Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease, it is caused by a narrowing or clogging of the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients.

Coronary artery disease and the resulting reduced blood flow to the heart muscle can lead to other heart problems, such as chest pain (angina) and heart attacks myocardial infarction).

The risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those adverse factors that put people at greater risk for heart disease and heart attacks.

CHOLESTEROL

If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, the excess is deposited in arteries, including the coronary arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages that cause the signs and symptoms of heart disease.

High levels of the wrong type of cholesterol (LDL) can be life threatening especially because this type of cholesterol has the capability to choke the arteries and thus cause a heart attack.

What happens is that the levels of the lipoprotein, which is made in the liver and in cells lining blood vessels, rise with things that make heart disease more likely, like smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Conversely the levels fall when patients stop smoking, lose weight and get their cholesterol and diabetes under control.