Heart disease is a blanket term for any condition that affects the health of the heart. It can lead to a heart attack or stroke or affect the valves, pumping ability and muscles.
First, a Little Background on the Heart
At its most basic, the heart is a muscle that acts as a pump. The average heart is about the size of a fist and is situated to the left of center in the chest. The heart chambers are where the real action happens.
The heart has a left and a right side, dividing oxygen-rich blood from oxygen-poor blood. The oxygen-poor blood comes back to the heart after traveling through the body. The right atrium and ventricle comprise the right side of the heart. These collect and pump blood through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs.
As that happens, the lungs refresh the blood with new oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, the waste product of breathing. Meanwhile, the heart’s left side pumps blood through the aorta, supplying tissues all over the body with oxygen and nutrients.
The heart’s valves are a synchronized wonder. Four valves within the heart keep opening one way and then closing tightly, helping to facilitate circulation. The valves are the tricuspid, mitral, pulmonary and aortic valves. The heart has a continuous cycle of contractions and relaxations to help the blood flow. While contracted (known as systole), the ventricles force blood into the vessels of the lungs and body. During relaxation (diastole), the ventricles fill with blood coming from the upper chambers.
This process goes on day after day, week after week, month after month, whether you are awake or asleep. Because the heart is a muscle, it is vital to keep it in good shape so that it can perform its important duties.
Maintaining the Heart
The wide range of heart disease conditions are largely preventable with lifestyle choices that emphasize diet and exercise. While birth defects and other issues can’t be prevented, others can be corralled with simple steps that are well within the patient’s control. These include staying away from cigarettes; maintaining control of blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes; getting exercise on a regular basis; maintaining a diet low in fat and salt; maintaining a healthy weight; managing stress; and practicing good hygiene.
Symptoms of heart disease are as varied as the types of diseases they represent and may be different for women and men. Ultimately, heart disease is caused by narrowed, blocked or stiff blood vessels that impede blood flow and can include angina (or chest pain, as it is commonly known); shortness of breath; numbness, coldness and weakness in the legs or arms; and pains in the jaw, neck, upper abdomen, throat or back.
Many patients are not diagnosed until they have a heart attack or stroke. It is important to have regular doctor checkups and to discuss any symptoms that occur.
Here are 10 things that most people don’t know but should know about heart diseases.
1) Approximately 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States each year. It is the leading cause of death for men and women, accounting for one in four deaths and roughly half of all male deaths. Most of the deaths come from coronary heart disease.
2) Each year, about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. The vast majority are the first attack, with about 210,000 experiencing their second, third, etc.
3) Are you at risk for a heart attack? Many factors go into that determination. Age increases the odds for damaged, narrowed, weakened, or thickened arteries or heart muscles. Family history, poor diet, other health conditions, lack of exercise, obesity, stress and poor hygiene are other contributors.
4) Most people should strive to achieve a body mass index of less than 25 and a waist circumference of 35 inches or less.
5) Heart-healthy foods are low in saturated fat, salt and added sugar. That means eating lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and less processed foods.
6) Stress is a silent killer, helping to raise blood pressure and strain the body. Meditation, yoga and other relaxation techniques or increased general exercise (even walking) can help reduce stress levels.
7) Depression can increase the risk of heart disease by working to undermine the body’s defenses. Get professional help to deal with the issue.
8) The optimal cholesterol level range is an LDL level of less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or ¾ millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Those with a lot of other risk factors for heart disease should aim even lower, with an LDL less than 100 mg/DL (2.6 mmol/L). Those at high risk – a previous heart attack, diabetic or with severe job stress – should try for an LDL level at 70 mg/dL (1/8 mmol/L).
9) Heart disease is largely color and ethnicity-blind. It is the leading cause of death for African-Americans, Hispanics, and whites and second to cancer for American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Pacific Islanders.
10) Pacemakers are increasingly popular as a treatment for heart rhythm issues. The average age for a pacemaker implant is 73 to 75 years old. More than 200,000 Americans receive a pacemaker implant each year.
No matter how far off from optimal good health a person may be, making lifestyle changes can improve heart health and lower risk factors for heart disease. Talk to a doctor and make a plan to improve diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes to give this important muscle the support it deserves.