Heart Disease - Causes and Preventative Measures - Essay Example

? Heart Disease Causes and Preventative Measures Heart Disease is one of the most prevalent and often ignored illnesses among men and women in our country today. Known as the “Silent Killer”, the illness often goes undiagnosed in both sexes as the signs and symptoms of Heart Disease grow gradually over time and tend to be attributed to other stress factors in life once displayed. It is a treacherous illness that affects the lives of both men and women in various stages of life and can most often times result in the death of the individual. This paper aims to shed light on the various aspects of this illness that includes the definition of the illness, its ability to affect other systems in the patient's body, the statistics pertaining to those suffering from or having died from the illness, and the currently available medical diagnosis and treatment available to the public. Information from various medical journals, the Center for Disease Control, and other relevant sources shall be collated into the material for this paper in an effort to create a concise and easily understandable information sheet relating to Heart Disease for the lay reader. The results of the research done on this illness is quite enlightening and informative. Heart Disease is an easily controllable illness once the patient takes the time to actually help his medical professional treat the illness. It requires certain changes in the life of the patient that, once successfully implemented, can result in a long and satisfying life for the Heart Disease patient. Heart Disease: Causes and Preventative Measures The human body is a wonderfully complicated machine that requires very little effort to maintain its tip-top running condition. However, there are instances when, due to either the aging process or congenital defects, that it encounters life threatening situations. One of the major life threatening illnesses that affects a human is Heart Disease. Heart Disease is the collective term for all illnesses that affect the human heart. As disease affecting a person, it has many major sub-illnesses that include diseases of the blood vessels, heart rhythm problems known as Arrhythmia, heart infections and congenital heart defects (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013). More commonly referred to as a Cardiovascular illness, heart disease occurs when there is a noticeable constriction of the major or minor blood vessels leading to the heart that can cause hardening of the arteries. Coronary arteries of the heart tend to build up fatty material and plaque over the decades. The narrowing of the arteries in the major and minor blood vessels causes an inadequate blood and oxygen supply to the heart that could result in the slowing of the heart beat or stopping of the heart in some cases (“Coronary Heart Disease”, 2013). Of all the illnesses known to man, heart disease is the only illness that has the ability to affect the overall biological system of a person. However, it affects men and women differently due to the biological make up of the different sexes. While the misconception exists that Heart Disease tends to affect mostly the males of the human species, women are also affected by the illness. There are nearly 500,000 women who will die from cardiovascular illnesses of its complications every year. Statistics tend to show that 40 percent of women will not survive their first heart attack (Riccioti, H., 2003). This particular number of women affected by heart disease has been shown to rival the number of men affected by the same illness with the United States Center for Disease Control releasing the following facts and figures pertaining to the population of America affected by the illness (“Heart Disease Morbidity”, 2011): Number of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed heart disease: 26.5 million Percent of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed heart disease: 11.5% Heart Disease is not an illness that is limited in scope in terms of the way it affects the human anatomy. Instead, it has the power and ability to fully alter the lifestyle of a person depending upon the seriousness of the heart disease. It could later the way the human brain functions and affect the motor, analytical, and speech skills of a patient as the amount of blockage in the affected areas effectively kills off any healthy tissue or organs in the area with very little hope of rehabilitating the affected portion. Unlike other illnesses that require medical testing in order to assess the risk factor of a person, it is easy to gauge the risk factors for a person when it comes to heart disease. Once a person falls under any of the following criteria, he or she is at risk for heart disease (“Coronary Heart Disease”, 2013) : Advancing age Gender, with men more at risk for the illness History of heart disease in the family Race with African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans showing to have a higher risk for heart problems. Preexisting conditions such as Diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, high cholesterol, smoking, substance abuse, being overweight, and lack of exercise. When one suffers from a heart illness, he must expect the treatment to be life altering and resign himself to taking preventative medications for the rest of his life. The goals of the treatments applied is really simple. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (“How is Heart Disease Treated?”, n.d.) explains it as follows: The goals of treatment are to: Relieve symptoms. Reduce risk factors in an effort to slow, stop, or reverse the buildup of plaque. Lower the risk of blood clots forming. (Blood clots can cause a heart attack.) Widen or bypass plaque-clogged coronary (heart) arteries. Prevent CHD complications Coupled with notable lifestyle changes and a medicine regimen from a healthcare professional, people afflicted with heart disease can still go on to live normal lives. Although it is more ideal to have preventative measures in place the combination of drugs plus a lifestyle change is oftentimes the most effective treatment available. The medicines that people afflicted with heart disease include ACE inhibitors, aspirin and anti-platelet medications, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics to name but a few (Westcott, P., 2013). Lifestyle changes include quitting smoking (for smokers), following a healthy diet, becoming physically active in order to maintain an ideal weight, and avoiding causes of stress and depression (“How is Heart Disease Treated?, 2011). In conclusion, it is safe to say that although heart disease is one of the major causes of deaths in the United States, it is easily prevented and/or maintained through regular check-ups and leading a healthy lifestyle. Nobody has to die from heart disease provided we all take the time to ensure its prevention in our daily lives. Sources Mayo Clinic Staff (2012). “Heart disease”. mayoclinic.com. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/DS01120 N.A. (2011). “Heart disease (data for the U.S.).” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/heart.htm N.A. (2013). “Coronary heart disease”. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/coronary-heart- disease/overview.html N.A. (2011). “How is heart disease treated?”. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health- topics/topics/hdw/treatment.html Riciotti, H. (2003). “Heart disease- differences between men and women”. Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital. Retrieved from http://www.bidmc.org/CentersandDepartments/Departments/ Medicine/Divisions/CardiovascularMedicine/YourHeartHealth/ TipsforHeartHealth/HeartDiseaseDifferencesBetweenMenandWomen.aspx Westcott, P. (2013). “Heart disease treatment”. BBC: Health. 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