Articles

Heart Disease or Cardiovascular Disorders

What is it and what are the risk factors commonly associated with it?

These disorders are usually divided into heart disease and peripheral blood vessel disorders. Heart disease affects the heart and blood vessels that supply the heart muscle whereas peripheral blood vessel disorders can affect the brain (cerebrovascular disorders such as stroke), arms, legs or trunk (except those supplying the heart). The most common risk factor associated with cardiovascular disorders is high blood pressure, or hypertension, which in turn is associated with smoking, high cholesterol, being overweight, and the use of too much alcohol.

Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood against the interior wall of the artery and is measured through two numbers systolic pressure and diastolic pressure such as 130/85. The first number, systolic pressure, is the force exerted when the heart pumps blood through the artery, while the second, diastolic pressure is the force within the artery between heart beats when there is no pressure pushing the blood through the system. A reading of 120/80 is average while 140/90 indicates hypertension. Hypertension is typically caused by the arteries becoming clogged with deposits of cholesterol, blood platelets and debris.

The role of the arteries is to supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients, which the heart then pumps through the rest of the body. If the heart receives insufficient oxygen a pain is felt which is called angina. Normally the pain will stop if activity stops and the oxygen supply to the heart catches up to the heart’s demand. This type of angina is called stable angina. Unstable angina is the result of a worsening in the heart’s condition and requires immediate attention but stops short of a total blockage of the artery. When a total blockage occurs the heart muscle dies in what is normally referred to as a heart attack or acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

The other most common type of cardiovascular disorder is stroke, which occurs when a clot interrupts the blood supply to the brain (ischemic stroke) or a blood vessel within the brain bursts (hemorrhagic stroke). As a result brain cells die or are damaged when they no longer receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients or, bleeding disturbs the chemical balance of the cells.

Societal Impact

Heart disease excluding strokes is the leading cause of death amongst seniors and accounts for about one third of all seniors’ deaths, while strokes account for a further 8%. Both become more common with age.

Symptoms

Angina is a sensation of pain, heaviness in the chest or tightness like a band around the chest. A heart attack results in crushing pain, vise-like squeezing or a feeling like a heavy weight on the chest. It may be accompanied by shortness of breath, heavy sweating, nausea, extreme weakness or low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. The symptoms of stroke are sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, sudden confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding, trouble seeing or double vision, dizziness, loss of balance or co-ordination or a sudden severe headache.

Treatment

Hypertension can usually be treated by lifestyle changes and medication but awareness is a significant problem because there are no symptoms prior to the onset of heart disease. However, blood pressure testing equipment is readily available at drug stores and a periodic check is a good idea especially as one ages. Aspirin can reduce the risk of heart attacks and ischemic strokes through thinning the blood thereby decreasing the likelihood of blood clots. However, aspirin may also have side effects with potential negative consequences such as in the event of hemorrhagic stroke.

Typical treatments for coronary artery disease include angioplasty (crushing atherosclerotic plaques in the artery by inflating a balloon in the artery), artery by-pass grafts and dissolving clots using drugs. Heart attack victims can often be aided by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Stroke therapies are either aimed at dissolving the blood clot causing the stroke or, in the case of hemorrhagic stroke, surgery to stop the bleeding. Also, stroke victims generally suffer disabilities such as partial paralysis, cognitive defects, speech problems, emotional difficulties or chronic pain that require rehabilitative therapy.