By the DoItYourself.com Staff
The Explicit NeedHeart disease may make you feel old. Learning to be young at heart can help prevent heart disease. This article gives answers to your basic questions about heart, in a patient’s point of view.
Cholesterol
You have heard about cholesterol, but what is it? And where is it? Cholesterol is a form of fat. Broadly there is good fat i.e. HDL cholesterol and bad fat i.e. LDL cholesterol. It is in your blood? Why is LDL cholesterol known to be bad fat? Is it bad for you?
Yes. High levels of LDL cholesterol can narrow the blood vessels. Narrowing of blood vessels can lead to heart disease or stroke. High cholesterol is closely connected with narrow blood vessels. Blood vessels are like tubes which carry water. They carry blood to all parts of the body. Due to presence of risk factors, the wall of the blood vessel gets damaged.
LDL cholesterol gets stuck to the damaged wall of the blood vessel, narrowing them. Over a period of time these LDL keep on accumulating and cause blockage. Therefore blood cannot flow through them.
Blood Circulation
It is important for the blood to flow and circulate in the entire body. Blood carries the most essential and life giving oxygen and nutrients through out the body. If blood vessels are narrowed or blocked, circulation is reduced or stopped. Oxygen cannot reach the muscle to which the blood vessel was supplying. As a result that muscle dies. In some of the blood vessels, this blockage causes risk to you. All the blood vessels have the possibility of getting blocked. But blockage to the blood vessels that are supplying blood to the heart can cause heart disease.
The Blood Vessels
The blood vessels that are supplying blood to the heart are known as Coronary Arteries. Any narrowing or blockage in these can lead to a condition called as CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) or CHD (Coronary Heart Disease). This leads to a decrease in the flow of blood to the heart.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
CAD as you know leads to decrease in the flow of blood. When you are exercising or under stress or doing some physical work, your heart needs extra oxygen. But as Coronary artery has become narrow, oxygen supply is not sufficient. This causes pain in the chest called Angina. This is experienced only for a short time. After some time normal condition is restored on rest. If not treated, this can further lead to Heart attack or Stroke. Although heart attack is often a sudden and dramatic event, it is the result of a process that has been going on for many years.
High Risk Of CAD
There are some individuals who need to be more careful as they might have some risk factors.
• Increased levels of cholesterol
• Smokers or tobacco users
• Diabetics
• Individuals who are obese
• Individuals with high blood pressure
• Family history of heart disease
• Women after menopause
• Individuals who lead a sedentary life style without exercise
• Increased levels of Homocysteine
High Risk Of Heart Attack
Studies show that those individuals with existing CAD and those individuals with two or more above mentioned risk factors are at a higher risk of attack.
The Conclusion In A Nutshell
For a person who is health conscious, preparing and preventing is better than repairing and repenting. This article gives an insight about six basic elements involved in the most dreaded clinical representation called heart attack. By knowing the basics and getting general awareness about the heart diseases, you can be confident enough to face and prevent it. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to every one. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.
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