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Cardiovascular Disease1

Cardiovascular Disease

Brittney Iverson

HLTH 1020

3/8/17

Salt Lake Community College


Cardiovascular Disease2

While there are many diseases out there and many of them that run in my family, I

decided that I wanted to research Cardiovascular Disease. This disease is one that is very close to

my heart, (no pun intended), my grandma recently passed away from Cardiovascular Disease and

I wanted to learn as much as I could about it so that I could try and prevent ever getting this

awful disease myself and help share my knowledge with the rest of my family.

Cardiovascular Disease is defined as A general term that refers to any disease of the

heart and circulatory system. This disease is generally characterized by the deposition of fatty

material in the blood vessels (hardening of the arteries), which in turn can lead to organ damage

and death. Also termed coronary heart disease (CHD), as the vessels of the heart are the primary

sites of the disease. (Wardlaw, 9). Cardiovascular disease is caused by narrowed, blocked or

stiffened blood vessels that prevent your heart, brain or other parts of your body from receiving

enough blood, (Mayo Clinic Staff).

Each year, about 600,000 people die of coronary heart disease in the United States.

About 715,000 people in the United States have a heart attack each year. Women generally lag

about 10 years behind men in developing the disease. Still, it eventually kills more women than

any other disease. The cost of coronary heart disease alone is $108.9 billion each year, which

includes the costs of health care services, medications, and lost productivity, (Wardlaw, 189).

The build up of plaque within artery walls is called atherosclerosis. The body sends white blood

cells called macrophages to the location of the plaque in an attempt to destroy it. The

macrophage surrounds the fatty deposit and produces lipid-loaded foam cells, seen here as a

foamy appearance on the artery wall, (Wardlaw, 192).

Cardiovascular disease symptoms may be different for men and women. For instance,

men are more likely to have chest pain; women are more likely to have symptoms such as
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shortness of breath, nausea and extreme fatigue, you might not even be diagnosed with

Cardiovascular Disease until you have had a heart attack, (Mayo Clinic Staff).

Some symptoms you should be watching for are, chest pain (angina), shortness of breath,

pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms if the blood vessels in those parts of

your body are narrowed, pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back, lightheadness,

dizziness, fainting, racing or slow heartbeat, swelling in legs, abdomen, or around the eyes.

Common symptoms that are shown early and they are even shown in childhood and young adults

are, easily getting short of breath when exercising or doing an activity, easily getting tired when

exercising or doing an activity, or swelling in the hands, feet, and ankles, (Mayo Clinic Staff).

Risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease could include some of the following: Total

blood cholesterol over 200 milligrams per 100 milligrams risk is especially high when total

cholesterol is at or over 240 mg/dl and LDL-cholesterol readings are over 130 to 160 mg/dl;

Smoking is the main cause of about 20% of Cardiovascular Disease deaths and generally negates

the female advantage of later occurrence of the disease; Hypertension, systolic blood pressure

over 139 (milli-meters of mercury) and diastolic blood pressure over 89 indicate hypertension;

Diabetes virtually guarantees development of Cardiovascular Disease and so puts a person with

diabetes in the high-risk group; HDL-Cholesterol under 40 mg/dl; Age, men over 45 years and

women over 55 years; Family history of Cardiovascular Disease, especially before the age of 50;

Blood triglycerides 200 mg/dl or greater in the fasting state; Obesity, (especially fat

accumulation in the waist). Typical weight gain seen in adults is a chief contributor; and

Inactivity, exercise conditions the arteries to adapt to physical stress. Regular exercise also

improves insulin action in the body, (Wardlaw,191-192).


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If you are showing any signs or you are having symptoms of Cardiovascular Disease,

then you need to seek medical attention. Your doctor will want to run a lot of test on you to be

able to fully diagnose your health. Some of the test that your doctor might run could be: Blood

tests; X-ray of the chest; Electrocardiogram (ECG) which is where it records electrical signals

and can help your doctor detect irregularities in your hearts rhythm and structure, you might have

an ECG while resting and exercising; Holter monitoring, a Holter monitor is a portable device

you wear to record a continuous ECG, usually for 24 to 72 hours. Holter monitoring is used to

detect heart rhythm irregularities that aren't found during a regular ECG exam; Echocardiogram

is a noninvasive exam, which includes an ultrasound of your chest, shows detailed images of

your heart's structure and function; Cardiac catheterization, in this test, a short tube (sheath) is

inserted into a vein or artery in your leg (groin) or arm. A hollow, flexible and longer tube (guide

catheter) is then inserted into the sheath. Aided by X-ray images on a monitor, your doctor

threads the guide catheter through that artery until it reaches your heart. The pressures in your

heart chambers can be measured, and dye can be injected. The dye can be seen on an X-ray,

which helps your doctor see the blood flow through your heart, blood vessels and valves to check

for abnormalities; Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) Scan; and lastly Cardiac magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI), (Mayo Staff Clinic).

Before doing any doing any test your doctor will need to do a physical exam as well and

they will need to ask you about your personal history and your family history. Your doctor may

just need to do a couple of those test or they may need to do all of them to determine if you have

Cardiovascular Disease. There are many complications that can arise from Cardiovascular

Disease this would include: Heart failure, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, peripheral artery

disease, and sudden cardiac arrest, (Mayo Clinic Staff).


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To help prevent Cardiovascular Disease from happening start by taking action. Live a

healthy lifestyle by eating a heart healthy diet. Diet plays a significant role in protecting or

predisposing people to heart disease. Diets high in animal fat, low in fresh vegetables and fruit,

and high in alcohol have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, (World Heart

Federation). Heart healthy diets would include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat free or low fat

dairy, protein rich foods, oils and foods containing high levels monosaturated and

polyunsaturated fats. Some other key factors are to maintain a healthy weight, be able to manage

stress. You should engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity. You

should also avoid sitting for long periods of times because it can increase your risk for health

issues, (NHLBI).

Something else that you should avoid is smoking, if you dont smoke dont start and if

you do smoke then quit! Smoking can raise your risk factors for heart disease. You should also

even try and avoid second hand smoke because that will also play a factor into developing heart

disease, (NHLBI). Smoking damages the lining of blood vessels, increases fatty deposits in the

arteries, increases blood clotting, adversely affects blood lipid levels, and promotes coronary

artery spasm. Nicotine accelerates the heart rate and raises blood pressure, (World Heart

Federation).

However, just because you are physically active and eat a heart healthy diet, it doesnt

mean that you still wont get Cardiovascular Disease. There are still other factors that play a role

in developing Cardiovascular Disease. Some of these other factors could be age, gender, and

family history, (NHLBI). Age starts adding to the increased risk of Cardiovascular Disease when

men are 45 years or over, for women it could increase at 55 years or over.
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Many people assume that women are safe from heart disease because of estrogen but

thats not the case. It may help raise good HDL cholesterol, however, once a woman goes

through menopause they can just be as affected as men. The symptoms of a heart attack can be

quite different between men and women, The symptoms of heart attack in a man are intense

chest pain, pain in the left arm or jaw and difficulty breathing. A woman may have some of the

same symptoms, but her pain may be more diffuse, spreading to the shoulders, neck, arms,

abdomen and even her back. A woman may experience pain more like indigestion. The pain may

not be consistent. There may not be pain but unexplained anxiety, nausea, dizziness, palpitations

and cold sweat. A womans heart attack may have been preceded by unexplained fatigue. Women

also tend to have more severe first heart attacks that more frequently lead to death, compared to

men, (World Heart Federation).

Family history and genetics can play a significant role in Cardiovascular Disease. If

someone in your family had Cardiovascular Disease your chances for getting it the disease grow

higher, especially if you are not living a healthy lifestyle. Looking at how genetics were

discovered in Cardiovascular Disease and the link there is between this disease. Wardlaw

explains how there is a genetic link, The gene-diet interactions being discovered for

cardiovascular disease, particularly the cases of high blood lipid levels, will likely be the first to

lead to nutrition plans personalized to decrease cardiovascular disease risk. About one of every

500 people in North America has a defective gene that greatly delays cholesterol removal from

the bloodstream. Another genetic variation can cause abnormally high levels of an amino acid

called homocysteine, which increases cardiovascular disease risk. Diet changes can help these

people, but medications and even surgery are needed to address these problems, (Wardlaw,103-

104).
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Kathiresan explains how genetics were discovered for part of Cardiovascular Disease,

To discover genes for CVD and its risk factors in humans, two major approaches - linkage

analysis and genetic association - have been utilized. The choice of approach has depended on

the pattern of segregation, whether consistent with the ratios described by Mendel or more

complex. Some forms of CVD exhibit a simple pattern of inheritance suggestive of a single

causal gene that confers a large effect on phenotype. For many of these Mendelian forms of

CVD, direct DNA sequencing and/or linkage analysis has successfully yielded the causal gene

and mutation, (Kathiresan).

Treatment options for Cardiovascular Disease include making lifestyle changes, this

would be eating a healthy low fat and low sodium diet and getting at least 30 minutes of

moderate exercise a day. Quit smoking if you do smoke and limit your alcohol intake. If

changing your lifestyle isnt enough your doctor may want to prescribe you some different

medications to control your heart disease. The type of medication will depend on what kind of

heart disease you have. If the medications are not enough, your doctor will recommend that you

do a certain type of procedure or surgery. The type of procedure will vary on your condition,

(Mayo Clinic Staff).

Can you live with Cardiovascular Disease? Of course! About 5.7 million Americans are

living with heart failure today. In fact, its one of the most common reasons why people 65 and

older go into the hospital, (American Heart Association). To live with Cardiovascular Disease,

you need to completely change your lifestyle. It will be difficult at first but once you get rid of

the bad habits and replace them with healthy ones it will be easy.
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Educating yourself on Cardiovascular Disease is so important, especially because it is

such a common disease for people to develop from their family and their own lifestyles. You

need to watch what you eat and make sure you maintain a healthy lifestyle to decrease your

chances of developing the disease. By doing this you will greatly reduce the risk of developing

this sometimes deadly disease.


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Works Cited

American Heart Association. Answers by Heart Fact Sheets: Cardiovascular Conditions.

Answers by Heart Fact Sheets: Cardiovascular Conditions. The American Heart Association,

Inc., 2 Nov. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Kathiresan, Sekar, and Deepak Srivastava. "Genetics of Human Cardiovascular Disease." U.S.

National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 29 Mar.

2017.

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Heart disease Symptoms." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical

Education and Research, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

NHLBI. "How Can Coronary Heart Disease Be Prevented or Delayed?" National Institutes of

Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 22 June 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Wardlaw, Gordon M., Anne M. Smith, and Angela L. Collene. Contemporary Nutrition: A

Functional Approach. Fourth ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015. Print.

World Heart Federation. "Frequently asked questions." Frequently asked questions | World Heart

Federation. World Heart Federation, 2017. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.

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