Archive for the “Cardio & Blood-Cholesterol” Category
REDUCING YOUR RISK OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: STRESS AND PERSONALITY
Saturday, July 2, 2011 | 7:52 amThe question of whether psychological stress and personality cause coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and sudden cardiac death is highly controversial. A great deal of research seems to suggest that your personality, the stressful events in your life, and your body’s physiological reaction to stress can increase your risk of heart disease. However, this theory is far from proven. Stress is a very difficult area to study because it is hard to measure psychological and physical responses to stress or to assess the social factors that may buffer the detrimental effects
of stress.
Many different situations can be a source of stress, and the response to a given situation may vary dramatically from one person to another. These are reasons why researchers have had difficulty identifying whether or how stress contributes to the development of heart disease.
It is common for people with heart disease to report that emotional peaks cause chest pain, and it is also common for heart attacks to occur during emotionally difficult periods. The added stress of emotional upset may disrupt the balance between supply and demand of the heart for oxygen, causing chest pain.
Although in certain cases it seems possible that acute stress was a factor in precipitating a heart attack, it is not clear whether ongoing stress can cause the underlying coronary disease (atherosclerosis) that is usually associated with heart attacks. To try to answer that question, researchers have studied the subject of stress and heart disease in terms of people’s personalities, social support systems, and their body’s physiological responses to stress.
*273\252\8*
—admin | Comments Off
(posted in Cardio & Blood-Cholesterol)
ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND HEART ATTACKS: PROCESS IN DETAIL
Saturday, May 21, 2011 | 9:23 amThe patches of atherosclerosis which protrude into the interior of arteries are accumulations of fats, cholesterol, and calcium, and scar tissue induced by such foreign substances. These patches, or plaques, are not entirely on the surface of the vessel but usually extend deep into the wall of the artery, so much so that if one were removed, the vessel wall would be thinner and weaker in that location.
Arterial plaques apparently begin to develop at an early age. During the Korean War, autopsies performed on United States soldiers who died of combat wounds revealed that 20 percent of these men in their early twenties already had significant amounts of atherosclerosis in their coronary arteries. Plaques have even been found in the coronary arteries of children under ten years of age. Women tend to develop these lesions at a later age than men, being protected by some unknown factor (female hormone – estrogen?) until after their menopause, at which time they accelerate the development of atherosclerotic plaques and almost catch up to men in the frequency of heart attacks. Heart attacks do occur in men in their twenties and early thirties, but are much more common in the forty to fifty age group.
Certain things appear to accelerate the development of atherosclerosis. Cigarette smokers have a definite increased risk. People who are overweight and sedentary have a greater risk. High blood pressure and diabetes are both factors that increase the risk and the likelihood of developing the disease at a younger age.
The word cholesterol is beginning to produce the same effect on some people as the mention of “Internal Revenue.” The two terms are probably equally maligned and misunderstood by the public. Cholesterol is a type of fat found in certain foods and also produced in the human body. Cholesterol has many important functions in the body, the most important being to supply the basic structure upon which body hormones are produced. Hormones are internal secretions which are essential for bodily function. Sex distinction is one hormonal effect.
In some diseases, such as hypothyroidism (inadequate production of thyroid hormone), an excess of cholesterol is produced by the body and there is also found an accelerated development of atherosclerosis. Certain scientific studies, particularly in Sweden, have demonstrated that an increased cholesterol content of the diet is associated with a higher death rate from myocardial infarction or heart attacks. From these facts and other information a hypothesis has developed that maybe cholesterol is an important culprit in the cause of atherosclerosis. Large-scale studies are underway in the United States at this time to attempt to define the relationship between diet, cholesterol, heart attacks, and death from blood vessel diseases, and to arrive at methods to achieve dietary and drug control of blood cholesterol levels.
Many questions remain to be answered. Several tentative conclusions can be drawn that time may substantiate. First, since the disease process appears to start very early in life, it makes a great deal more sense to consider altering the diet (and thereby, perhaps, the blood cholesterol) in children and young adults rather than in oldsters in whom the disease is far advanced and possibly irreversible. Second, certain persons are not able to handle cholesterol and fats as well as others, and blood tests are available which may be able to identify these higher-risk persons. These people may be benefited by more vigorous dietary plans or even certain drugs. Third, there are many other factors involved in the development of atherosclerosis besides cholesterol and diet, and undue emphasis cannot be placed on this single factor.
If a person has high blood cholesterol and other body fats, a low cholesterol diet may help correct the condition. The usual diet precludes egg yolks, butter, milk, cream, cheese, ice cream, meat fat, and shellfish. Some people, however, appear to produce cholesterol within their own bodies from simple sugars, such as those found in sugar, fruit, and alcoholic drinks. In general, obesity is associated with a higher cholesterol level, and one universal way to reduce blood cholesterol is through weight reduction to lean body size. A physician can best help the patient determine the group he fits in.
*11/309/5*
—admin | Comments Off
(posted in Cardio & Blood-Cholesterol)
DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES AND METHODS FOR TREATMENT OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 | 7:55 amThe current approach to the treatment of myocardial infarction is first to get the suffering patient to the hospital quickly. After a provisional diagnosis has been made, he is moved into a special area of the hospital called a Coronary Care Unit (CCU), which is staffed and equipped expressly for this type of illness. The patient is usually under the constant supervision of doctors, nurses, and electronic machinery, all of which are focusing their attention on detecting the very first sign of any complication. If complications do develop, treatment is much more effective if it is begun early.
The development of the concept of coronary care units is of recent origin. It is the result of increasing medical knowledge and in particular of increasing knowledge about the natural history of coronary artery disease. To achieve a proper frame of reference, it is of interest that Dr. Paul White reports that in 1910 the diagnosis of a heart attack or myocardial infarct was seldom made in a general hospital in this country. His explanation is that, first, the disease itself was much less common than it is today, and, second, that doctors were not aware of the disease itself. In other words, medicine had not advanced to the point where it was commonly recognized that there was such a thing as a myocardial infarct, or what the symptoms of this illness were. By the 1920s the disease pattern was established as a distinct entity, and by World War II large numbers of patients were being treated for this condition.
By the 1960s statistics revealed that about 60 percent of the deaths of persons with atherosclerotic heart disease (the disease that causes heart attacks) were sudden deaths. Furthermore, about 70 percent of these deaths occurred during the first seven days of the illness. Just before this period, the first human being was successfully defibrillated by an electrical shock across the chest. (Ventricular fibrillation is a situation in which the heart quivers rather than beats, and it is fatal within four or five minutes.) This is a common cause of sudden death in persons with heart attacks.
Shortly after this, the technique of closed-chest cardiac massage was devised. By this is meant the application of pressure repeatedly over the chest of a person whose heart has stopped beating. With the proper application of chest compression, blood is forced into and out of the heart in a near normal fashion. The efficiency does not approach that of the normally beating heart, but enough blood can be induced to circulate to the vital organs of the body to postpone death. Formerly, if the heart stopped beating or fibrillated, death of the brain occurred in four or five minutes. Other forms of heart stoppage cannot be treated by defibrillation, but sometimes drugs or other forms of treatment can be used to start the heart again if the patient can be kept alive until they have a chance to take effect.
In 1767 a society for the revival of persons apparently dead by drowning was formed in Amsterdam. One of the methods recommended was mouth-to mouth respiration. This technique was forgotten until about 1960, at which time its revival provided an improved method for giving artificial respiration.
It was now at least theoretically possible for one or preferably two persons to maintain life in a patient who had suddenly stopped breathing, or whose heart had suddenly stopped functioning. A method was now available to “buy a little time” until a person could be transported to a treatment facility, or until special forms of treatment could be brought to him.
Incidentally, no special tools are necessary to perform this cardio-pulmonary resuscitation; the only requirement is trained personnel. Both forms of assistance are usually necessary in a case of cardiac arrest or stoppage of the heart. The body must be supplied with blood that has an adequate amount of oxygen. When the heart stops functioning, breathing stops within less than a minute. Closed-chest cardiac massage is useless without artificial respiration.
To avoid any confusion, it must be pointed out that people cannot be kept alive very long with these techniques. Some hearts are too diseased to recover, and a certain percentage of cardiac arrests cannot be restarted.
*8/309/5*
—admin | Comments Off
(posted in Cardio & Blood-Cholesterol)
HEART DISEASE: ANGINA – HOW TO RECOGNISE IT?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 | 9:27 amWhen a patient complains of a pain in the chest extending towards the left arm, diagnosis is almost coronary blockages. Pain usually aggravates on exertion and is relieved by taking rest. It is more apparent after meals, especially after a heavy meal. Many patients complain of breathlessness on exertion but not of pain in the chest. Many of these patients have diabetes and are overweight. Palpitation is also a common complaint of a heart patient.
Burning sensation in the middle of the chest, choking sensation, uneasiness over the chest region, chest pain during excitement, sometimes shoulder pain, right sided pain and jaw pain are also indicators of heart disease.
No age group is exempted from angina. Occurrence of angina at a younger age is a recent trend — basic reason being the process of atherosclerosis (deposition of fats and triglycerides) in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Angina is unlikely till the blockage is more than 70%. The period over which these blockages are formed depends on the life-style of a person. If many risk factors are present and stress is predominant, angina can occur even at the age of 25 years. Previously angina was seen only at the age of 50-60 but now many patients with angina are in the age group of 30-35.
Recognition of angina depends on the patient’s knowledge about the disease and physical activity. If he performs heavy physical activity from time to time (where the heart rate is raised beyond 120-130/minute) he can identify angina early. People who do not physically exert themselves feel and recognize angina quite late, because they never reach a higher heart rate. Many such physically inactive persons sometimes get severe heart attacks which may even result in death, simply because they could not identify angina and take preventive care.
Angina does not occur at blockages of 40% to 50% which is widely prevalent. If it occurs, it is more likely to be precipitated by a sudden episode of coronary artery spasm which is the most common manifestation of stress.
The Symptoms of Angina
1. Chest pain: Angina may vary from mild to severe, whereas the pain of a heart attack is very severe. It usually occurs in the centre of the chest and radiates to the left arm, but at
times it may even radiate to the right arm, shoulders or the lower jaw. The pain usually lasts for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Breathlessness or shortness of breath.
3. Sweating.
4. Nausea and vomiting.
5. Dizziness and fainting.
6. Pain or heaviness in the chest especially after heavy meals.
7. Choking sensation in the throat.
8. Heaviness or tightness in the chest or upper abdomen.
9. Weakness and fatigue.
*3/283/5*
HEART DISEASE: ANGINA – HOW TO RECOGNISE IT?When a patient complains of a pain in the chest extending towards the left arm, diagnosis is almost coronary blockages. Pain usually aggravates on exertion and is relieved by taking rest. It is more apparent after meals, especially after a heavy meal. Many patients complain of breathlessness on exertion but not of pain in the chest. Many of these patients have diabetes and are overweight. Palpitation is also a common complaint of a heart patient.Burning sensation in the middle of the chest, choking sensation, uneasiness over the chest region, chest pain during excitement, sometimes shoulder pain, right sided pain and jaw pain are also indicators of heart disease.No age group is exempted from angina. Occurrence of angina at a younger age is a recent trend — basic reason being the process of atherosclerosis (deposition of fats and triglycerides) in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Angina is unlikely till the blockage is more than 70%. The period over which these blockages are formed depends on the life-style of a person. If many risk factors are present and stress is predominant, angina can occur even at the age of 25 years. Previously angina was seen only at the age of 50-60 but now many patients with angina are in the age group of 30-35.Recognition of angina depends on the patient’s knowledge about the disease and physical activity. If he performs heavy physical activity from time to time (where the heart rate is raised beyond 120-130/minute) he can identify angina early. People who do not physically exert themselves feel and recognize angina quite late, because they never reach a higher heart rate. Many such physically inactive persons sometimes get severe heart attacks which may even result in death, simply because they could not identify angina and take preventive care.Angina does not occur at blockages of 40% to 50% which is widely prevalent. If it occurs, it is more likely to be precipitated by a sudden episode of coronary artery spasm which is the most common manifestation of stress.The Symptoms of Angina1. Chest pain: Angina may vary from mild to severe, whereas the pain of a heart attack is very severe. It usually occurs in the centre of the chest and radiates to the left arm, but attimes it may even radiate to the right arm, shoulders or the lower jaw. The pain usually lasts for 5 to 10 minutes.2. Breathlessness or shortness of breath.3. Sweating.4. Nausea and vomiting.5. Dizziness and fainting.6. Pain or heaviness in the chest especially after heavy meals.7. Choking sensation in the throat.8. Heaviness or tightness in the chest or upper abdomen.9. Weakness and fatigue.*3/283/5*
—admin | no comments
(posted in Cardio & Blood-Cholesterol)