Posts Tagged ‘atherosclerosis’
Warning Signs and Prevention to Heart Attack (Part 2)
Risk factors for a heart attack
* Smoking
* Diabetes
* Aging: 83% of people who die from heart disease are 65 years or more.
* High cholesterol
* Blood Pressure (blood) high
* Family history of heart attack
* Race: African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans and Native Hawaiians are at greater risk.
* Atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
* Lack of exercise
* Stress
* Obesity
* Gender: More men have heart attacks, although heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women.
How I can avoid having a heart attack?
Talk to your family doctor about your specific risk factors (see box above) to a heart attack and how to reduce your risk. Your doctor can say:
* Stop smoking. Your doctor can help. If you do not smoke do not start smoking.
* Eat a healthy diet. Cut back on foods high in saturated fat and sodium (salt) in order to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Ask your doctor how to start eating a healthy diet.
Warning Signs and Prevention to Heart Attack (Part 1)
A heart attack (also called myocardial infarction) is when part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies because he is not receiving oxygen. The arteries (blood vessels) carry oxygen to the heart.
Most heart attacks are caused by a blockage in these arteries. Usually the blockage is caused by atherosclerosis, which is the accumulation of fatty deposits (called plaque) inside the artery.This buildup is like the gunk that builds up inside a drainpipe and slows the flow of water.
Heart attacks can also be caused by a blood clot that gets stuck in a narrow part of an artery to the heart. Are more likely to form clots at sites where atherosclerosis has made an artery more narrow.
How do I know if I’m having a heart attack?
The pain of a heart attack can feel like heartburn. It is also likely that you are having a heart attack if:
* Feel a pressure or crushing pain in your chest, sometimes accompanied by sweating, nausea or vomiting.
* Feel pain that extends from your chest into the jaw, left arm or left shoulder.
* Has a feeling of tightness in the chest
* Has a shortness of breath for more than a couple of seconds.
Coronary Artery Disease
What is coronary artery disease (CAD)?
Coronary artery disease is the commonest form of heart disease in Europe and America. If you have coronary artery disease, it is a narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the tanks which supply the heart with blood. It is not certain that the blood supply to the heart is good enough.
A narrowing of the arteries due to wax-like deposits, called plaque, on the inside of blood vessels. Plaque is a collection of fat and cholesterol that circulates in the blood. Fat and cholesterol are usually from the food you eat and accumulate time.
A fresh artery is elastic, smooth on the inside and able to carry enough blood to the heart.
A diseased artery is stiffer and narrowed due. Deposition of plaque is a problem because it can cause a blockage of the artery. Narrowing or blockage of an artery is called stenosis.
An artery with stenosis is like a clogged pipe. A blocked coronary artery is serious because the artery is the only passage that provides the heart with oxygen. A narrowed or blocked coronary artery means less blood and less oxygen to the heart muscles. The heart relies on the supply of sufficient oxygen and nutrients to function properly.
Plaque may be deposited in the arteries over many years. Coronary artery disease is generally a disease that develops gradually. The progressive deposition of plaque inside arteries is called atherosclerosis. If this process continues, you eventually have symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath and numbness in arms and shoulders. Coronary artery disease can even cause heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI).
Fortunately it is possible to treat coronary artery disease. If you have been given this diagnosis, you can talk to your doctor about treatment options.