General Summary of Cardiovascular Disease - Article Example

Health and Medicine of affiliate Cardiovascular Disease General summary Cardiovascular Disease commonly known asCVD is the cause of death worldwide according to a research done by World Health Organization (WHO) on an article titled Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (World Health Organization, 2012). According to article, Cardiovascular Disease is a group of disorders commonly associated with the vascular system that supplies vital organs such as the brain and the heart as well as the cardiac muscles. The most common causes of CVD mortality and morbidity include: congestive heart failure (CHF), stroke and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Another article that sensitizes on Cardiovascular Disease is an article by the National Academy on an Aging Society, titled: Heart Disease; A disabling yet preventable condition (National Academy on an Aging Society, 2012). According to the article; about 18 million people have heart diseases and majority of which are elderly. The article also discusses on the various health styles that can reduce the risk of heart. Medical Interventions: Several drugs have been recommended that can prevent and cure the Cardiovascular Disease. This includes: antihypertensive drugs, lipid lowering drugs, hypoglycemic drugs, coronary revascularization, and carotid endarterectomy (World Health Organization, 2012). Antihypertensive drugs help to lower the blood pressure of a patients with established CVD and particularly with blood pressure level that is above 140/90 mmHg. If the blood pressure level remains high, to reduce risk of recurrent vascular events, treatment with thiazide diuretic is recommended. Lipid Lowering Drugs such as statins are also recommended for patients with established CVD. This treatment should be continued for a long time and probably for lifelong. The main desirable goals is to establish a lower absolute risk level with a total cholesterol of less than 4.0 mmol/l (152 mg/dl) and less than 2.0 mmol/l (77 mg/dl), of LDL-cholesterol. Hypoglycemic drugs are the secondary intervention mode of treatment of CVD. The drugs are mostly important to patients with either type 1 or type 2 of diabetes. Insulin or metformin should be given to patients with persistent fasting blood glucose greater than 6 mmol/l. Coronary revascularization is a surgery procedure that can be considered to patients who may have triple vessel disease. Carotid Endarterectomy is also another treatment used to reduce occurrence of stroke to patients with ipsilateral carotid stenosis (70-98%). However, some drugs are not recommended for patients with CVD. This includes such treatment such as calcium channel blockers, antiarrhythmics, antioxidant vitamins and hormone replacement therapy (World Health Organization, 2012). Natural or Organic Interventions: Patients with are encouraged to quit smoking and cessation of other forms such as nicotine. Also patients with established CVD are recommended to take diet pattern that may reduce the vascular disease recurrent. This may include reducing the intake of total fat to less than 30% of calories and also reduce daily salt intake to less than 5g (National Academy on an Aging Society, 2012). CVD patients are also recommended to take at least 500g of vegetables and fruits daily. Additionally CVD patients are to undergo daily supervised physical exercises to recover easily. Obese CVD patients are encouraged to take physical exercises and reduce on energy diet in order to lose weight. CVD patients are also strongly advice to reduce the consumption of alcohol. Reflective Summary: Patients with established CVD such as myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease or cerebrovascular disease are at a risk of having a cardiovascular events recurrence. Therefore the medical and natural or organic interventions discussed above are strongly recommended for these patients. The patients can be placed under intensive supervision in order to make sure that the interventions are effective (National Academy on an Aging Society, 2012). Dieting: Essentials: General Summary: My first discussion on dieting essentials is based on an article researched by the (United Nations System Standard Committee on Diet, 2012), Nutrition, and the prevention of Chronic Diseases. The article helps to clarify on the role of diet in controlling chronic diseases and also on the diet that can increase on the cause of the diseases and the interventions possible to modify their on the diet impact. The Second article is by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH, 2007). The article discusses on the various Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases, Dieting Essentials, and explores majorly on the intervention of the dieting and nutritional diseases. Medical Interventions: Some of the most common diseases that may be due to lack of proper dieting essentials and nutritional disorders are: diabetes coronary heart attack and stroke where lipidaemia and obesity are the most common factors leading to these diseases. The medical way to intervene in these diseases is to administer Statins which are lipid-lowering drugs. Also a lipid lowering therapy can be recommended to this group of patients by administering an initial dosage of 10mg of simvastatin once at night and increasing to 40mg once at night (United Nations System Standard Committee on Diet, 2012). Natural or Organic Intervention: Improving on the intake of dietary components and physical exercises can greatly improve on the prevention of chronic diseases. The recommendations on dietary to intervene on these diseases include decreasing on: the total fat intake to 30%, total carbohydrate 55-75%, free sugars less than 10%, Cholesterol to less than 300mg per day and Salt to less than 2g per day. Additionally an increase on the intake of fruits and vegetables to greater than 400g per day is a strongly recommended natural intervention. Also a healthy body weight can be maintained by physical exercises and reducing on sedentary lifestyles and non-active lifestyles like watching television. Intake of Alcohol, sugars-sweetened soft drinks and energy-dense micronutrient poor foods are strongly discouraged (NIH, 2007). Reflective Summary: A balanced dietary intake of foods should be greatly encouraged. This may include high intake of dietary fiber and instructing mothers to regulate the energy intake instead of feeding their children until the plate is empty. This can also be enhanced by breastfeeding for at least 6 months. Also active lifestyles with moderate physical exercises should be encouraged to both the adolescents and adults. In developing countries the leaders should promote and encourage health food choices such as intake of vegetables and fruits where these are scarce. Nutrition programs should be designed for the low weight-for-age population. In economic transition countries, sedentary lifestyles and intake of energy dense food should be greatly discouraged. Instead, the population should be encouraged to feed on healthy traditional dietary such as high intake of fruits and vegetables. Communicable and/or non-communicable infectious diseases General Summary One of the articles to discuss on this topic is the Globalization, Diets and Non-communicable Diseases article by the World Health Organization (World Health Organization, 2012). According to the article Non-communicable diseases are chronic conditions that are not from infectious result. These diseases may result from prolonged exposure to environmental factors or personal behaviors. The article discusses on the causes of these diseases, and the control and prevention measures. The second article to discuss on the communicable and/or non-communicable infectious diseases is Control of Communicable diseases in emergencies by The Johns Hopkins and the International Federation of Red Cross (The Johns Hopkins and the International Federation of Red Cross, 2012). The article discusses on the strategies to control, prevent and monitoring of Communicable diseases such as TB, polio and cholera outbreaks in emergency and post-conflict situations. Medical Intervention: Intervention programs to control and prevent Communicable and/or non-communicable infectious diseases include adoption of lifespan approach and attempts in reduction of risks. For example, immunization and oral administration of preventive drugs such as aspirin in suspected heart attack cases. Early detection of people with high risk factors of non-communicative diseases through screening can prevent any major complications. Otherwise palliative care and rehabilitation is recommended where the disease is incurable or complicated. In addition community health education and empowerment of information may carried out through technologies that are both feasible and cost effective. Communicable diseases can also be countered by such measures as treatment of drinking water. Some other primary interventions that can be carried out include: oral cancer screening, blood pressure checks and chest pain algorithms (World Health Organization, 2012). Natural or Organic Intervention: Programs can be implemented to counter Communicable and/or non-communicable infectious diseases such as promoting regular physical exercises and a healthy diet such as high intake of fresh fruits, fish and vegetables and moderate intake refined sugar and fat. Also to prevent cancer population should be educated on the impact of tobacco (The Johns Hopkins and the International Federation of Red Cross, 2012). Reflective Summary: Communicable and/or non-communicable infectious diseases are the major cause of mortality in both the developing and developed countries. Effective measures should be implemented to counter these diseases. Some of these measures include sensitizing and educating the community on the causes and prevention of these diseases such as proper dietary and active exercises. References National Academy on an Aging Society. (2012, February 6). Heart Disease: A disabling yet preventable condition. Retrieved from National Academy on an Aging Society: http://www.agingsociety.org/agingsociety/pdf/heart.pdf NIH. (2007, February 6). Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases. Retrieved from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bookres.fcgi/gnd/ch14d1.pdf The Johns Hopkins and the International Federation of Red Cross. (2012, February 6). Control of Communicable diseases in emergencies. Retrieved from The Johns Hopkins and the International Federation of Red Cross: http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/k/c/Pages_from_Chapter_7_.pdf United Nations System Standard Committee on Diet. (2012, February 6). Diet, Health and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Retrieved from WHO| World Health Organization: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/who_trs_916.pdf World Health Organization. (2012, February 6). Globalization, Diets and Non-communicable Diseases. Retrieved from WHO | World Health Organization: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/9241590416.pdf World Health Organization. (2012, February 6). Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. Retrieved from WHO | World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/guidelines/PocketGL.ENGLISH.AFR-D-E.rev1.pdf Read More