World Heart Day

Heart diseases are one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality, especially in the developed world. Hypertension and Ischemic Heart Disease (also known as Coronary Heart Disease) are the two dreaded diseases.

Hypertension is suspected, when the blood pressure measured at least twice during two separate examinations after the initial screening is higher than normal. In adults, a diastolic pressure below 85 mm. Hg and a systolic pressure below 130 mm. Hg indicates normal blood pressure

The environmental factors that aid the development of hypertension include salt intake, obesity, occupation, alcohol intake, family size, and crowding. Further, other factors like age, race, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, serum cholesterol, glucose intolerance, and weight may affect the outcome of this disease.

The general measures needed to control this disease are relief of stress, dietary management, regular aerobic exercise, weight reduction (if needed), and control of other factors mentioned above.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the most common, serious, chronic, life-threatening illness in the United States, where more than 11 million persons have IHD. Myocardial ischemia is usually due to atherosclerotic disease of epicardial coronary arteries.

The major risk factors for atherosclerosis are high plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL), low plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL), cigarette smoking, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

The typical patient with angina is a 50- to 60-year-old man or 65- to 75-year-old woman who has chest discomfort, usually described as heaviness, pressure, squeezing, smothering, or choking and only rarely as frank pain. When the patient is asked to localize the sensation, he or she will typically press on the sternum (breast bone), sometimes with a clenched fist, to indicate a squeezing, central, substernal discomfort. This symptom usually reaches a peak and then subsides and lasts 1 to 5 min. Angina can radiate to the left shoulder and to both arms and especially to the inner surfaces of the forearm and hand. It can also arise in or radiate to the back, neck, jaw, teeth, and epigastrium. Episodes of angina are typically caused by exertion (e.g., exercise, hurrying, or sexual activity) or emotion (stress, anger, fright, or frustration) and are relieved by rest.

Sharp, fleeting chest pain or prolonged, dull aches localized to the left chest just under the breast are rarely due to myocardial ischemia. However, angina pectoris may be atypical in location and may not be strictly related to provoking factors and so it is advisable to seek the help of a medical professional instead of attributing it to ‘gas’, tooth infection, spondylosis or ‘cramps’ in the chest.

A family history of IHD is an important indicator of increased risk and will prompt your doctor to search for treatable risk factors such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Obesity impairs the treatment of other risk factors and increases the risk of adverse coronary events. In addition, obesity is often accompanied by two other risk factors- hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The treatment of obesity and these accompanying risk factors is an important component of any treatment plan.

Cigarette smoking accelerates coronary atherosclerosis in both sexes and at all ages and increases the risk of myocardial infarction and death and if you are a chronic smoker, the first thing to do when diagnosed with IHD is to quit tobacco .

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