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Heart Disease: The Truth
CIS 1020
Leslie Hjorth
March 30, 2011
Heart Disease: The Truth
Leslie Hjorth
Cardiovascular disease is a group of conditions the affect the heart. There are
various forms of heart disease including coronary heart disease, heart attack, and
congestive heart failure. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and
women. There are ways to reduce your risks of heart disease including diet, quitting
smoking and controlling blood pressure and weight (WebMd). My goal in this paper is to
give readers some knowledge of heart disease and how to prevent it.
What is the Heart and Heart Disease
The
heart
is
a
life
sustaining organ that pumps oxygen
and nutrient-rich blood throughout
the body. The heart is about the size
of your fist and beats about
100,000 times per day. It pumps 2,000
gallons of blood per day. The blood carries oxygen to the lungs and nutrients to tissue. It
also takes waste away from the tissue (How the Heart Works).
Cardiovascular disease is a group of diseases that relate to the heart when the
heart and vessels are not functioning properly:
 Arteriosclerosis (say: ar-teer-ee-oh-skluh-row-sus): also called hardening
of the arteries, arteriosclerosis means the arteries become thickened and are
no longer as flexible (Book).
 Atherosclerosis (say: ah-thuh-row-skluh-row-sus): a buildup of cholesterol
and fat that makes the arteries narrower so less blood can flow through.
Those buildups are called plaque.
 Angina (say: an-jy-nuh): people with angina feel a pain in the chest that
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Heart Disease: The Truth
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means the heart isn't getting enough blood.
 Heart attack: when a blood clot or other blockage cuts blood flow to a part
of the heart.
 Stroke: when part of the brain doesn't get enough blood due to a clot or a
burst blood vessel (Kids Health; Kids Health).
Symtoms
It is important to know the signs and symptoms of heart problems. Some of the
symptoms are shortness of breath, palpitations, weakness or dizziness, nausea and
sweating. If a person is having a heart attack, they may have discomfort, pressure,
heaviness or pains in the chest, arm or jaw. If you have these symptoms you need to call
911 and get to a hospital (Symptoms of Heart Disease).
Treatment
Treatment depends on the type of heart disease you have and the severity of it. A
doctor may prescribe medication to improve the blood flow to the arteries. There are
several types of medications such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics
and statins. If the disease has progressed beyond medications, a doctor may perform a
nonsurgical procedure called balloon angioplasty. The doctor inserts a tube with a small
balloon on the end into your artery and guides it to the heart. Once it reaches the
narrowing part of the artery, the balloon is inflated and it compresses the plaque and
widens the opening for blood to flow through. Sometimes, a metal mesh tub called a
stent is used to keep the area open. Bypass Surgery is a major operation where a blood
vessel from another part of the body is attached and creates a new channel allow blood to
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Heart Disease: The Truth
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move around the blockages to the narrowed artery (USA Today).
Below is a list of
doctors you may contact if you think you need treatment (note: These doctors were
chosen randomly and it is up to the patient to decide what doctor is right for them.):
Whitehead, Kevin J, MD
University Health Care
(801) 213-9910
Johnson, Kira D, PA
Heart Center
(801) 676-377
Madsen, Bard R, MD
Heart And Lung Institute
(801) 263-2370
Calame, Thomas R, MD
Physicians Group of Utah
(801) 746-4440
Prevention
Instead of waiting until you have to use one of the above treatments, it is best to
try and prevent heart disease.
Heart disease may be the leading cause of death for both men and women,
but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack
the power to change some risk factors — such as family history or age —
there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take.
Take steps to avoid heart disease:
1.
Don't smoke
2. Get regular exercise
3. Eat healthy foods.
4. Avoid heart problems in the future by adopting a healthy lifestyle today
(Staff).
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Heart Disease: The Truth
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Smoking and tobacco is the most significant risk factor. The longer a person
smokes the greater risk they have of having heart problems. Smoking decreased oxygen
to the heart and increased blood clotting.
People around cigarette smoke (second hand smoke) also increase their risk of heart
disease. Approximately 35,000 nonsmokers die each year as result of heart disease cause
by tobacco smoke (WebMd). .
Exercising is also important to the health of your heart. This means an aerobic
workout lasting at least 20 minutes three times per week. However, the American Heart
Association recommends exercising on most days of the week.
Eating a healthy diet keeps your heart and arteries healthy.
Food
Fiber Rich Foods
Fish
Fruits and Vegetables
Healthy Foods
Serving Size
Servings Per Day
1 oz
3.5 oz
1 Cup
3
1
4
The American Heart Association recommends you eat a wide variety of nutritious
foods including fruit and vegetables, fiber rich
grains per day and fish. It
also recommends less than 1,500 mg of
sodium per day. Saturated
fat and trans fat can increase your risk of heart disease because it raises cholesterol levels.
Watch for labels with “partially hydrogenated oils and avoid them (Nurtrition center).
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Heart Disease: The Truth
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Seeing a doctor regularly and keeping track of cholesterol and blood pressure is
also important.
Cholesterol is produced by our liver and used to make bile salts,
hormones and vitamin D. If you take in too much cholesterol, it can cause build up on
the artery walls. The two types of cholesterol are LDL and HDL. LDL is found in fried
foods and many processed snack foods and is considered bad cholesterol. HDL is found
in fish, nuts, and soy and is considered good cholesterol. (Dietitians).
Uncontrolled high blood pressure has no symptoms but can damage your arteries,
heart and other organs causing heart attack, heart disease or congestive heart failure
(Blood Pressure).
Heart disease is a disease that does not discriminate. 58.8 million men and
women have heart disease. It will kill 950,000 Americans every year. Heart disease
is not a disease of the elderly (Murray);
In fact, according to the American Heart Association, almost 150,00
Americans killed by cardiovascular disease each year are under the age
of 65. And one out of every 20 people below the age of 40 has heart
disease (Murray).
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Bibliography
American Heart Association. 2010. 4 nov 2010
<www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4545>.
Blood Pressure. 23 July 2010. 5 Nov 2010
<www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/WhyBloodPressureMatters/WhyBlood-Pressure-Matters_UCM_002051_Article.jsp>.
Book. "The Heart Book." Book, George. The Heart Book. New York: NY Publisher, 2011. 200.
cardiovascular diseases.org. 2010. <w
Dietitians, Registered. Health Castle. 5 November 2010 <http://www.healthcastle.com/goodbad-cholesterol.shtml>.
How the Heart Works. 2009. 4 November 2010 <www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/howheart-works>.
Kids Health. 2010. 31 10 2010 <kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/heart_disease.html>.
Murray, Michelle W. Center, University of Maryland Medica. 22 October 2009. 5 November
2010 <www.umm.edu/features/tips_prev.htm>.
Staff, Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. 28 January 2009. 31 10 2010
<www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/DS01120/DSECTION=risk-factors>.
Symptoms of Heart Disease. 2009. 4 Nov 2010 <www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heartdisease-symptoms>.
WebMd. Copyright ©2009. 31 November 2010 <www.webmd.com/heart-disease/default.htm>.
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