Posts Tagged ‘Heart Disease’

What is heart disease and why should I be concerned?

Heart disease is a name given to a variety of conditions that affect the performance of the heart. Important examples of heart disease include:

angina, in which there is poor blood circulation to the heart,

heart attack, in which there is death of part of the heart muscle, and

Arrhythmia, in which the rate or rhythm of the heart beat, is abnormal.

Your heart is the engine that drives your body. It is a powerful muscle that pumps blood to your entire body, providing the oxygen and nutrients that you need to live.

How important is exercise for a healthy heart?

Exercise is the one of the best – and most enjoyable – ways of lowering your chances of developing heart disease. Regular exercise helps your heart to become stronger, so it can pump more blood around your body with less effort. Indeed, if you exercise on a regular basis, the chance of you developing heart disease is about half that of people who do no exercise at all. Exercise can also help reduce high cholesterol and high blood pressure (both of which can lead to heart disease), help you to sleep better and help provide a feeling of well-being.

Should I stop smoking?

Yes. Giving up smoking not only reduces your risk of developing heart disease, but also the risk of many other serious illnesses, like cancer and emphysema. No matter how old you are, it is not too late to stop. As soon as you do, your health will improve immediately. Studies show that, after five years of giving up, the risk of developing heart disease is the same as for someone who has never smoked.

Giving up smoking is not easy and it may take several tries before you succeed.

What about high blood pressure?

High blood pressure increases your chances of developing heart disease, but there are usually no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure, so you may not be aware you have it.

Making changes to your lifestyle is a first important step. Try to:

keep at a healthy weight or lose weight, if necessary,

reduce the amount of salt you eat,

give up smoking,

learn to relax and reduce stress,

cut down on alcohol if necessary,

Exercise (see above).

Why should I cut back on alcohol?

We know that people who drink heavily are more likely to die of heart disease than those who do not. So, if you drink, do so in moderation. You may have seen recent reports that drinking in moderation (with an emphasis on moderation) may offer some protection against heart disease. But, if you never drink or seldom drink, do not change your habits – alcohol should not be taken as a medicine.

What about my eating habits?

Eating well can also help prevent heart disease. No one food can provide all the nutrition you need, so eat a variety of foods every day from the following four food groups:

bread, other cereals and potatoes,

fruits and vegetables,

low-fat milk and dairy foods,

Meat, fish and alternatives such as beans and lentils.

Try to cut down on the amount of salt that you add to your food and avoid processed foods that have a high salt content.



By: Sajid Latif

About the Author:

Sajid Latif is writing in financial topics and have strong knowledge in all financial matters and points like money and finance, loans life insurance and health insurance etc. To get one best quote for health insurance please visit us.



Your heart, other than your brain, is the center of many body processes especially that it pumps the river of your life, your blood. When not taken care properly, you may contact or acquire a heart disease that could be a threat to your life.

What is heart disease?

Heart disease , also known as cardiovascular disease, is an umbrella term used to describe other ailments that affect the busiest muscle in the body, the heart. Mainly, it affects older people and is hereditary in nature. Heart diseases have become one of the major causes of deaths all over the world. Many of the variants of the disease are considered as “silent killers� because they show no visible symptoms especially those that are affected with high blood pressure.

Heart disease s are closely associated with blood pressure, cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, heart attacks and strokes. The disease occurs when the heart and vessels of the blood are not working properly or are malfunctioning because of other factors like too much cholesterol, fatigue and improper diets.

Other Problems Related to Heart Disease

Many of the problems that go along with heart disease have to do with the arteries. Arteries are not the same with veins. They are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Arteriosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries is one of the complications of heart disease. The arteries become thick and no longer flexible that the blood could not flow smoothly.

Another problem is atherosclerosis. This occurs when there are plaque deposits caused by the buildup of cholesterol and far in the arteries. In turn, the arteries become narrow and the blood can not flow through. When the heart could not get enough blood to pump, a person is suffering from angina and could feel chest pain.

Two of the most deadly complication is heart attack and stroke. These two happens when the heart malfunctions. There is heart attack when a blood clots in the part of the heart. On the other hand, stroke happens when the brain is not able to get enough blood due to the clotting of blood or bursting of blood vessel.

Acquiring Heart Disease

Unlike diseases that are caused by virus or bacteria, heart disease is not contagious. Rather, there are risk factors that increase the chances of a person to acquire heart disease. One of these factors is old age. When people get older, the functioning of the heart could not be as healthy as it uses to be while we are young. The heart also deteriorates especially because of unhealthy lifestyle. As earlier said, heart disease is also hereditary. When you have family members who had the same problems, most likely you could also acquire the same.

However, some risk factors of heart disease are controllable. Among these factors are smoking, having high blood pressure, being overweight, and not exercising. These entire factors, if not monitored can contribute to having a heart disease.

Signs of Heart Disease

Heart disease s do not actually give visible symptoms or signs to people suffering it. Most of the time the disease is detected when the patient is already feeling chest pain or already had a heart attack of stroke.

To determine whether a person has a heart disease, one or a couple of the following procedure is initiated. Electrocardiogram records the electric activity of the heart. Through this test, the heart beating is determined when it is normal or not. Echocardiogram, on the other hand, uses sound waves that bounced off the parts of the heart. These waves create a picture of the heart, which is displayed in the monitor. With the stress test, some cables are connected to the body and to the electrocardiogram machine. The heart activity and how the muscles react while the patient exercise is being monitored. Catheterization locates the narrowed arteries through a long and thin tube that is inserted inside the body. This tube emits a special dye. Last is the carotid artery scan, which also uses sound waves to locate blockage in the carotid artery.



By: Dr John Anne

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For more helpful information read about Home Remedies at Herbal Remedies website. Also read about Breast Enlargement Products.



The heart disease is mostly appear in the men than the women. The heart disease in women can seen on the age of 65 and older. The women causes the most of the disease of breast cancer. The black women are more to have high blood pressure and diabetes than white women. The heart disease have a number of abnormal conditions which affects the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. There are so many causes of heart disease such as depression, blockage of the coronary arteries, stress and so on.

Types of heart disease

There are several types of the heart disease which are depend on the heart actions such as the heart does not get enough blood, an artery is completely blocked and the changes in the beat of the heart. The different types of the heart disease are as follows

Coronary artery disease

Heart failure

Heart arrhythmias

What are the heart attack symptoms in women?

There are various symptoms are seen in the heart disease but these symptoms are different in men and women.

Neck, shoulder and abdominal discomfort

Shortness of breath

Chest pain

Abnormal heartbeats

Sweating

How to avoid the heart disease in women?

The heart disease in women’s are rarely caused. But when it cause to any women it may have big risk. We have to take prevention for the heart disease in women. They some of the preventions are as follows

Be active

To maintain a normal weight

Do exercise regularly for 30 minutes.

Don’t smoke.

Check the diabetes and cholesterol level.

To take their doctors prescribed medications properly on time.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle

To go for the regular check up.

What are the treatments for the women heart disease?

Now a day there are various treatments such as medicines, supplements and surgery are available and researchers also find for the more advanced treatments for the heart disease. So we can maintain the heart disease. Some of the treatments of the heart disease are as follows

Beta blockers may be useful for women heart disease.

The bypass surgery is used for the heart disease.

To prevent the heart disease in women some times blood thinners are used.

Aspirin can manage the risk factors of the heart condition.

Omega-3 fatty acids may be also effective on the women heart disease.



By: Rachel Broune

About the Author:

Rachel Broune writes articles for womens health. He also writes for women and beauty and makeup tips.



This article is written to identify the risk factors for heart disease. If one does not understand what the risk factors are, it is difficult to avoid them. I hope that it is very beneficial to you.

Coronary heart disease is to blame for approximately 1.2 million heart attacks that take place in the United States every year. Of these 1.2 million people, more than 40 percent of them will fall victim to a heart attack that will be fatal. But the numbers get even scarier from there. An estimated 335,000 individuals who suffer heart attacks will die en-route to the hospital or else will not leave the emergency room alive. The American Heart Association estimates that in the United States, 7 million people will suffer a heart attack at some point in their lives.

Heart disease is very prevalent and is becoming more and more so in society. Very often heart disease is known as the silent killer because it shows no obvious symptoms and it sneaks up on a person completely unannounced. It is critically important to become educated about the factors that make one person more susceptible to developing this disease over another. The risk factors can be broken down into those that are controllable and those that are not. Lets take a look at both.

As far as risk factors that cannot be controlled, men are more likely to suffer heart attacks than are women and the risk of heart disease increases with age. For example a 50 or 60-year-old man is more likely to become afflicted than is a 30 or 35-year-old man. This is not to say however than women never suffer from heart disease but it is less widespread in women. When women do suffer from it, it is usually women who are past menopause.

Those with a family history of heart attacks and heart conditions are more likely to suffer from it, as there is a genetic connection that has been borne out by research. Certain races of people are more likely to be afflicted than others. For example, Caucasians are less likely to suffer from this disease than are African Americans, African Indians and finally, Mexican Americans.

But there is some good news as there are factors related to heart disease that are within a persons control. Cholesterol rates can be influenced by the foods you consume and how much exercise you get on a regular basis. What is known as bad cholesterol is a high level of LDL and good cholesterol is known as HDL. You must aim to keep your HDL as high as possible and your LDL as low as possible. Smoking is another controllable risk factor involved with heart disease. If you smoke, try to kick the habit and if you do not smoke, then good for you, never start.

A complete or partial lack of exercise can increase your chance of developing heart disease. Aim for at least 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity every day or at least every second day for starters. Obesity can play a role in heart disease and be aware that you are considered to be obese if you are more than an estimated 20% over what is deemed your ideal weight. Another controllable risk factor is anger and stress that has been allowed to build up over an extended period of time. Seek out ways to improve your coping mechanisms.



By: Verlyn Ross

About the Author:

Verlyn Ross owns and operates a website dedicated specifically to providing health information. It includes a wealth of articles in which you may have an interest. I invite you to freely explore my website.



Scientists have identified a genetic flaw which increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Researchers from the US and Canada found that that up to one in four white people carries the section of DNA which increases the risk of heart disease by around 40%. Whilst in Iceland researchers found the same genetic variant was linked to a fifth of heart attacks.

Both teams of researchers scanned the genomes of patients who had coronary heart disease or who had suffered a heart attack to see if there were any differences between them and healthy people. The US/Canadian scientists found a section of DNA, called an allele, n a specific chromosome which was associated with heart disease. They studied 23,000 people and found that those with one copy of this allele had a moderately increased risk of heart disease, whilst those with two copies, which accounts for about 20-25 % of white people, have a 30 to 40% higher risk of heart disease than individuals who carry no copies.

Professor Ruth McPherson, of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, who worked on the study, said: “The effect is less than that of smoking or having a high cholesterol level. Nonetheless, screening healthy people for this genetic marker could provide information on future risk of heart disease and help identify those individuals who would benefit most from early applications of strategies to reduce heart disease risk.”

The US/Canadian researchers now plan to check if the findings also apply to people from black and Asian ethnic minorities too.

Meanwhile in Iceland, the study of 17,000 people looked at the same strand of DNA. They also found that more than 20% of people had two copies of the faulty allele which led to a 60% increased risk of heart attack, compared with those who with no copies. Dr Kari Stefansson, who led the research for the Decode genetics company, said if those at risk of heart attacks were identified, then they could be given medications such as statins, or cardiac procedures - as well as healthy living advice - to reduce their risk.

Despite the research by both sets of scientists it still remains unclear why this particular area of the genome is linked to heart disease, although researchers believe it may be associated with hardening and narrowing of the arteries.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Trying to find genes that put some families at an increased risk of heart attacks is like trying to find a collection of needles scattered amongst a field full of hay-stacks. The significance of these two studies is that two independent research teams have homed in on the same hay-stack. This makes it very likely that they are close to identifying a needle - an important gene in that region. This will take a lot more research and - once found - the gene will be only one of several that are important. This research represents an important step along a very long journey, but a step in the right direction.”



By: Chris Marshall

About the Author:

Chunterer explores the issue of heart disease including its causes and treatments. It also offers advice on how to avoid heart disease and other related condition. For more information please visit Heart Disease on Chunterer

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Canine heart disease is a very common condition. It is a very serious condition that usually proves to be fatal unless it is detected very early.

Types

There are two types of canine heart disease. One type occurs when the heart valves lose their ability to close effectively. This causes blood to flow abnormally. The other type of canine heart disease occurs when the walls of the heart become thin and weak, causing the heart chambers to dilate. Both of these types result in heart failure over time.

Cause

There are a variety of things that can cause canine heart disease. It can be caused by infections, parasites, and congenital disorders. Canine heart disease can also be caused by diet deficiencies. If your dog is overweight, it will only aggravate the condition.

Symptoms

There will usually be no symptoms in the early stages of canine heart disease. As the disease progresses, your dog will begin to show symptoms such as coughing, lethargy, and difficulty breathing. When canine heart disease becomes severe, your dog will experience weight loss, fainting, and irregular and rapid breathing.

Diagnosis

To diagnose canine heart disease, the vet will start off by performing a few physical exams. He will listen to the sound of your dog’s breathing and heart. he will also inspect its gums and feel or enlarged internal organs. These physical exams will usually be followed by a chest x-ray, ultrasound, and blood and urine samples.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for canine heart disease. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms so your dog can have a better quality of life. ACE inhibitors will relieve stress on the heart by reducing blood pressure and volume. Your dog may also have to go on a special exercise program. Success of this treatment for canine heart disease depends on the severity of the disease, presence of other illnesses, and the age of your dog.



By: D Swain

About the Author:

As your dog ages, his risk for developing serious health conditions increases dramatically. It is your duty to keep him as healthy as possible. Stop by dog-illnesses.com today to learn about various dog illnesses, such as canine kidney disease, that can affect your dog.



Fish has achieved health food status due to research that shows eating fish lowers the risk of heart disease. Public health agencies have recommended eating fish for several years. But new research continues to support additional links between diets that include fish and various measures of heart health.

While fish is a healthy source of lean protein, it is the omega-3 fatty acid content of fish, particularly fatty fish like salmon and tuna that is thought to help protect against heart disease. The key to lowering your risk of heart disease with fish seems to be eating enough fish each week to raise your blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

A recent study compared the omega-3 fatty acids in the blood of Japanese men living in Japan, Japanese men living in the U.S. and American men living in the U.S. Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood level of omega-3 fatty acids and the lowest rate of heart disease as the other two groups. In addition, higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the Japanese men improved at least one measure of atherosclerosis. This and other studies provide ample evidence that it may be omega-3 fatty acids from fish and seafood that are keeping the rates of heart disease in Japan so low compared with other countries.

The omega-3 fatty acids are richest in fish with the most fat. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy people eat fish at least two times per week and to include fish like salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, herring and sardines. These fatty fish are rich in two of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids associated with lower rates of heart disease.

There are many ways that omega-3 fatty acids might help the heart. They are thought to reduce platelet aggregation and make the blood thinner, reduce triglyceride levels, and prevent arrhythmia. Supplementing the diet with fish or fish oil seems to greatly reduce the chances of having a heart attack. Supplementation is even being considered as a common intervention for people at a very high risk of having a heart attack.

But eating other types of fish can be heart healthy as well. Fish is low in saturated fat and eating fish can help keep levels of dietary saturated fat low and lower your risk of heart disease. And while fatty fish are highest in omega-3 fats, most fish have some of the heart these heart healthy fats. The levels of omega-3 fatty acids also vary with the diet fed to the fish. So, farm raised fish can have a very different fatty acid profile than wild fish of the same species. Because of this variability, a good approach is to eat a different types of fish and to consistently include fatty fish.

A new study compared fatty fish and lean fish for their affects on heart disease risk. While heart disease patients who were placed on a diet that included fatty fish several times per week had higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids at the end of the study, blood pressure actually decreased in the patients who ate lean fish several times per week. The effect of eating fish on blood pressure may be due to some other component of fish than omega-3 fatty acids.

What’s the best way to gain the heart health benefit of omega-3 fatty acids from fish? Eating fatty fish is the best way. Many research studies support the heart health benefit of eating fish. But if you can’t eat fish, don’t like fish, or can’t eat enough to meet recommendations, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil is a good alternative. Intervention studies have proven some benefit of taking these supplements to reduce the risk of heart disease. Talk with your health care provider if you are considering taking a dietary supplement.



By: Lisa Jenkins

About the Author:
Eating fish has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease. Fish with high omega-3 fatty acids are highly recommended, such as salmon and tuna. Lisa Jenkins is a freelance writer for http://www.heartmart.com/ and offers information regarding your heart health such eating healthy, heart healthy exercise, and risks of heart disease.



Although women are less prone to heart disease as compared with men, it must be known that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women today. The risk is in fact higher for women for certain profile of the population. For example, women smokers are several times more prone to heart disease than male smokers.

Heart diseases are caused by many different factors. For example old age, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetic and a sedentary lifestyle can cause heart disease to develop. In addition, menopause in women can also causes heart disease.

Understanding the causes of heart disease is the important first step toward prevention of the disease. Prevention of the disease after all is much better than cure. In this regard, people at risk of heart disease should have regular check-ups and also stick to the instructions by their doctors.

Knowing the causes of heart disease will help you in taking preventive measures such as reducing the level of cholesterol, keeping to a healthy body weight, eating healthy foods and exercise regularly. A change in lifestyle and diet will go a long way in removing many of the causes of heart disease. If you feel that you are at risk of develop heart disease, consult a doctor as soon as possible. Early and proper treatment will prevent more serious conditions from developing. Although heart disease is basically unavoidable, there are certain things that you can do to prevent it, for example, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. By keeping yourself healthy, you will not only prevent heart disease; you will also be better prepared to deal with many other ailments and health conditions.

It is important to understand that heart attack is triggered by two different factors. The first is the pathological buildup of abnormal plaque in the arteries, plaque that gradually hardens through calcification. The other factor involves the blood clotting that blocks blood flow to the heart. One of the latest theories on coronary artery disease is that it is an inflammatory process, which is characterized by repeated cycles of irritation, injury and healing of the blood vessels.

The Problem of Late Diagnosis

Doctors today are better equipped to diagnose and treat heart disease in women. However, in many cases, the diagnosis is made very late such that effective treatment is not possible. Often, a diagnosis of women coronary heart disease is made after a stroke or a heart attack. Often, the contributing factors to heart disease in women are due to cigarette smoking, high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity and even suffering from diabetes.

A woman who actively sough to eliminate these risk factors will have a better chance of survival as well as not being struck down by the many potential heart diseases. It may mean having to change one lifestyle for the better.

Heart disease in women can also be caused by age, effect of menopause and heredity. Thus, women need to know the risk factors that cause heart diseases, negate their effects and avoid aggravating any existing condition.

Women can take active measures such as taking vitamins and certain medications. Medications that can help prevent heart disease includes Sytrinol, Potassium and also M.S.M. Sytrinol has been found to be effective in keeping the cholesterol levels normal by reducing triglycerides as well as low low-density lipoprotein levels. M.S.M. also can develop protein and keep the connective tissues strong.

For more information regarding heart disease and heart disease in women, you should consult your doctor to discuss the possible treatment and preventive methods, especially if you have existing high risk factors. All is not lost if you have already developed a heart disease.

The range of treatment options available today, from pills to minimally invasive surgeries, means that prognosis is much better than in the past. The only thing to add to tip the balance in your favor would be a positive attitude and living as healthy a lifestyle as possible.

Stay fit with regular exercise and a proper diet. Seek the support of family and friends, or even specialized non-profit organizations, to steady and toughen your mental resilience. All these will help to combat the effects of heart disease.



By: Cindy Heller

About the Author:

Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit Cure For Heart Disease to learn more about reversing heart disease.



What causes heart disease may be a question weigning on your minds. With more and more people dying each day from heart attacks, it is only natural that you want to know what is going on, what is causing you or a loved one’s poor health, and how to rectify the situation. I have listed some valuable information for you to read in one easy-to-read webpage. This is a free service which can be found on this link: Heart Disease Causes.

Heart disease is a somewhat loose phrase used interchangeably to describe a broad range of heart problems. Some of the illnesses that fall under the heart disease category are high blood pressure, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes and coronary artery disease. Heart disease is a leading cause of death around the world. So what ultimately causes heart disease?

Heart disease is caused by a number of factors including:

Poor diets full of saturated fats  usually from eating too much junkfood and not enough fruits and vegetables. Poor exercise habits, or no exercising at all. The heart is a muscle and needs exercise in order to maintain proper and healthy operation. Smoking is a leading cause of heart disease. Being overweight is a major factor in developing heart disease.

When your arteries harden, this places restrictions on blood flow to organs and tissues, which is what causes heart disease. This deprives your body’s organs of vital oxygen and nutrients needed to function in the right way. It should be noted that what causes heart disease is not always due to hardening of the arteries.

Some forms of heart disease are caused by other genetic or heredity diseases, such as heart valve diseases, congenital heart defects and disease, heart infections, and cardio myopathy. While some heart problems you may not be able to control, most are developed over a lifetime of unhealthy living habits. Remember, prevention is better than cure. For more information on heart disease causes feel free to visit our website.



By: Daniel Sherwood

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According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the nation’s single leading cause of death for both men and women. At least 58.8 million people in this country suffer from some form of heart disease. Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women do, and they have attacks earlier in life. Even after menopause, when women’s death rate from heart disease increases, it’s not as great as men’s. But the good news is that measures can be taken to prevent heart disease. Studies show that nearly everyone can become more heart healthy by following a few key steps, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

The American Heart Association has identified several risk factors. Some of them can be modified, treated or controlled, and some can’t. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of developing coronary heart disease. Also, the greater the level of each risk factor, the greater the risk. For example, a person with a total cholesterol of 300 mg/dL has a greater risk than someone with a total cholesterol of 245 mg/dL, even though everyone with a total cholesterol greater than 240 is considered high-risk.

Food has a powerful influence on health. What you eat, interacting with other risk factors, substantially determines the development of coronary heart disease. The principal components of food are fat, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. The goals of a heart-healthy diet are to eat foods that help obtain or maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and lipids (fatty molecules) by achieving the following:

ท Reducing overall cholesterol levels and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which are harmful to the heart.

ท Increasing high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which are beneficial for the heart.

ท Reducing other harmful lipids (fatty molecules), such as tri-glycerides and lipoprotein(a).



By: Eric Timmy

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