Peripheral Arterial Disease - Term Paper Example

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE al Affiliation) Cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease according to epidemiology referenceis a disease that is associated to the heart and also circulation in the blood vessels. The disease includes instances of stroke, coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and aortic disease. Stroke is a condition that occurs when the supply of blood to some parts of the brain is cut off. The brain needs continuous supply of oxygen like the other parts of the body (Braunwald, 2007). When restriction of oxygen occurs in the vessels, the cells starts to die. Peripheral arterial disease occurs when there is a blockage in the arteries of the limb. This is usually in the legs. The symptom of the disease is pain in the legs when one is walking. The pain is like cramp that is felt as it comes and goes (Braunwald, 2007). Coronary heart disease occurs in the body of an individual when the flow of blood that is rich in oxygen is reduced or blocked by fatty material in the coronary artery. The coronary arteries are essential for supplying the heart with blood, when they are blocked; it results to the condition of a heart attack. The infection leads to chest pain, a condition referred to as angina (Braunwald, 2007). Aortic disease is a condition that results to weakening of the walls of the aorta and makes the blood vessel to bulge outwards. The condition is then associated to pain in the chest, the back or in the abdomen. The most common disease that is associated to aortic disease is aortic aneurysm. There are risk factors that make one more likely to get the condition. The several risk factors that are associated to cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, being physical inactive, obesity, and high levels of cholesterol in the blood, diabetes and family history with infection by the disease (Hampton, 2003). With consideration of age, the elderly are likely to develop the condition as compared to the young. Prevalence in sex shows that men are more exposed to develop the condition as compared to women. Men are able to develop the condition at an earlier age as compared to women. Age and cardiovascular disease Age is a risk factor that is associated to the disease. The risk is estimated to be 82% for those that are older than 65. The risk of stroke is observed from the age of 55. The explanation that is given to the age and risk of cardiovascular disease is relation to serum cholesterol level. In the large population the serum total cholesterol level increases with increase in the age. Public health problem and prevalence Cardiovascular disease through research has been considered a being health problem. A research that was carried out in 2011 brought out the statistics that almost 160,000 deaths were experienced as a result of cardiovascular condition. In the statistics, 74,000 of the deaths were as a result of coronary heart disease (Hampton, 2003). This is a big killer in UK. Most deaths from heart disease are caused as a result of heart attacks. In United Kingdom, there are close to 103,000 heart attacks recorded each year. In United States, statistics shows that about 610,000 people die due to heart diseases every year. In the country, heart disease is the leading killer for both men and women with men being exposed to heart disease and death than female. In every year, 735,000 Americans have heart attacks. The large portion of the population have heart attack for the first time while other experience it for more than the first time (Sutton, 2010). Death in United States as a result of heart diseases varies by ethnicity. African Americans are exposed to 24.5 percent of the \deaths, 18 percent being American Indians, 25 percent whites, 20.8 percent being Hispanics and 23.2 percent being Asians. Infection by the disease also varies with the geographical region where people in the country live (Sutton, 2010). According to world statistics, cardiovascular diseases are considered the leading cause of death in the world. The hypothesis is true to all parts of the world except in Africa. Statistics revealed in 2013 showed that 17.3 million deaths are due to the disease. This is a percentage of 31.5% of total deaths. These shows increase in deaths as compared to 1990 where the diseases resulted to 12.3 million which constituted 25.8 percent of deaths at the time. Stroke results to 80% of the deaths in male and a percentage of 75 in female. The statistics also shows that those that are mainly affected are those that are old (Smith, 2007). Preventing cardiovascular disease The risk factors that result to the diseases are linked and when one is exposed to one risk, it will lead to the other. Addressing a condition such as abandoning smoking will lead to important health benefit as it will reduce the risks of getting the disease. In preventing cardiovascular affections, there is needed to look at the lifestyle of one as a whole. Factors that are to be considered in the lifestyle of one include the diet and food that one eats, the body weight, the amount of alcohol that one drinks, the much exercise and physical activities that one involve and the need to stop smoking. The alcohol that one takes should be reduced to less than 21 units in a week for men and less than 14 units for women in a week. In considering diet, a low fat a high fiber diet is recommended and portions of fruits every day. In the diet, one should not take foods that are highly saturated in fat as they include the level of cholesterol in the body. Exercise and weight management is important in controlling obesity. The recommendation is that of 30 minutes of moderate –intensity aerobic exercise each day in every five days a week. Medication is also recommended for those that are developing given situations of CVD (Smith, 2007). The medications that one may use to prevent the disease include taking blood pressure tablets, taking statins that are used to lower the level of cholesterol in the body and low-dose aspirin that is used to prevent blood clots. Treatment of cardiovascular diseases The treatment strategies are similar for both men and women. Treatment modes may include medical aspects, surgical procedures and changes in lifestyle. Treatment goals include relieving the symptoms that are associated to the infection, reducing the risk factors that are to slow or stop building up of the plague, lowering the risk of blood clot, preventing more complications of the condition and bypassing or widening the arteries that are blocked. Lifestyle is a way that can be used to treat the condition through preventing complication of the condition. Medicine in treatment of cardiovascular disease is through reducing the workload that the heart has and relieving the symptoms. The medicines also involve reducing the chance of having a heart attack and sudden death. The medicines also lower the level of cholesterol in the body, blood pressure and risks (McCabe & Field, 2000). Antithrombotic medicines are available for treatment as they act in preventing the formation of blood clots and dissolve blood clots that already exist. The medicines are taken over a long time to reduce the risks of heart attack and death. Medicines that are used to lower blood pressure include diuretic medicines, beta-blocking and calcium-channel blockers. The blocking agents reduce the heart’s activity by suppressing certain signals. Other medicines used are lipid-modifying medicines. Procedures and surgery can also be used in treatment of cardiovascular disease. There are different techniques that can be used in the procedure and it is upon the person who is affected and the doctor. The procedures that are available include percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting and cardiac rehabilitation (McCabe & Field, 2000). Importance of the topic to human health Information of cardiovascular disease is important to the knowledge of the public as it educates on the lifestyle to involve that makes them healthy and the food that are to avoided to keep healthy. Keeping healthy involves preventing the occurrence of the infection and reduces more infection of those that have acquired the disease. The topic also educates the public on the symptoms that are linked to the disease such that people be in the watch out for the conditions. The topic is important to human health as it makes people with the condition to be aware of the treatment techniques that are available and choose on the best method they can use in their treatment (McCabe & Field, 2000). Treatment also is brought out in the lesson. Treatment modes may include medical aspects, surgical procedures and changes in lifestyle. Treatment goals include relieving the symptoms that are associated to the infection, reducing the risk factors that are to slow or stop building up of the plague, lowering the risk of blood clot, preventing more complications of the condition and bypassing or widening the arteries that are blocked. This is important in the lives of the people to keep healthy. Reference Braunwald, E. (2007). Heart disease. Philadelphia: Saunders. Hampton, J. (2003). Cardiovascular disease. London: Heinemann Medical Books. Lorimer, A., & Hillis, W. (2005). Cardiovascular disease. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. McCabe, P., & Field, T. (2000). Stress, coping, and cardiovascular disease. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates. Smith, W. (2007). Cardiovascular disease. New York, N.Y.: Facts on File. Sutton, A. (2010). Cardiovascular disorders sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphics. Read More