Heart Disease

The term coronary heart disease covers a group of clinical syndromes arising particularly from failure of the coronary arteries to supply sufficient blood to the heart. They include angina pectoris, coronary thrombosis or heart attack and sudden death without infarction.

There has been a marked increase in the incidence of heart disease in recent years. Heart attacks have become the number one killer in Western countries. They rank third in India, after tuberculosis and infections. The disease affects people of all ages and both sexes, although it is more common in men than in women, especially among those aged 40-60 years.

The heart, the most vital organ in the body, is a muscle about the size of a clenched fist. It starts working even before birth inside the womb. Weighing less than 350 grms, it pumps about 4,300 gallons of blood per day through the body and supplies oxygen and nourishment to all the organs. It beats 1,00,000 times a day, continuously pumping the blood through more than 60,000 miles of tiny blood vessels. The heart, in turn, needs blood for its nourishment which is supplied by coronary arteries Coronary arteries are so called because they are arranged rather like a crown or carona. In case of strain, etc., the heart needs more blood and the arteries, under normal conditions, adjust themselves to the increased flow.

In the event of narrowing or hardening of the arteries on account of their getting plugged with fatty substances, the flow of blood is restricted. The heart then does not get sufficient oxygen. This condition is known as ischaemia of the heart or angina pectoris. In this condition , exercise or excitement provokes severe chest pain and so it limits the patient’s physical activity. It serves as a warning to slow down and prompt preventive measures will prevent a heart attack.

If the narrowed arteries get blocked due to a clot or thrombus inside them, causing death of that portion of the heart which depends upon the choked arteries, it is called a heart attack or coronary thrombosis. It may lead to death or heal, leaving a scar. Patients with healed lesions may be severely disabled or may be able to resume normal life with restrictions in their physical activities.

Symptoms

A common symptom of heart disease is shortness of breath which is caused by the blood being deprived of the proper amount of oxygen. Another common symptom is chest pain or pain down either arm. Other symptoms are palpitation, fainting, emotional instability, cold hands and feet, frequent perspiration and fatigue. All these symptoms may be caused by many other disorders. Appropriate tests and studies are, therefore, essential to establish the true nature of these symptoms.

Causes

The basic causes of heart diseases are wrong dietary habits, faulty style of living and various stresses. The famous Framingham Heart Study of the National Heart and Lung Institute identified seven major risk factors in coronary heart disease. These are : (i) elevated blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and other fatty substances ( ii) elevated blood pressure (iii) elevated blood uric acid levels (mainly caused by high protein diet), (iv) certain metabolic disorders, notably diabetes, (v) obesity, (vi) smoking, and (vii) lack of physical exercise.

Each or a combination of these risk factors can contribute to heart disease. Most of them are of dietary origin. These risk factors can be controlled by changing one’s life style and readjusting the diet. Constant worry and tension stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline and cartisons. This also contributes to constricted arteries, high blood pressure and increased work for the heart.