Heart disease - a growing health problem
December 21, 2001 | 12:00am
Still the leading killer in the nation and worldwide, heart disease continues to be a growing health problem that affects millions today. Many people are unaware that they are at a high risk of developing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).
Many factors are believed to play a part in a person's chance of developing heart disease. One's family history, gender, and age are immutable factors that predisposes an individual to heart disease. If your family has a history of Coronary Heart Disease and you are an aging male past his 30's - you run the risk of CHD.
Many believe that an individual's way of life and environment contributes largely to one's heart condition. Smoking, excessive alcohol intake, stress, overweight and lack of exercise have been identified as the culprits behind heart disease. Major changes in one's lifestyle and a 'slowing down' in activity can do wonders for the heart. Unfortunately, more often than not, patients make these changes only after surviving a heart attack or having undergone a triple bypass.
However, other factors have also come into play. A person's blood pressure level, cholesterol level, and diabetes have surfaced as major risk factors to Coronary Heart Disease. Unlike heredity, gender and age, these other risk factors can be controlled. To lower our risk of a heart ailment, it would be good to understand the 'whys' and 'hows' of each risk factor.
Blood Pressure. In order to cause the blood to circulate around the body, the heart has to pump the blood through the blood vessels. Any resistance in the blood vessels would cause the heart to work harder. This added resistance causes the blood pressure to increase and places undue stress on the heart.
It is important to have your blood pressure checked and monitored regularly by a doctor.
If you are diagnosed to have high blood pressure - regular exercise, weight loss, and reduced salt intake can help lower it. Some people, however, need medicines like antihypertensive drugs, to help them lower their blood pressure. Antihypertensive medications include : Diuretics, Beta blockers, Alpha blockers, Calcium-channel blockers, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and Angiotensin II Antagonists (AIIA). ACE inhibitors like Renitec (enalapril maleate) are considered the gold standard in treating high blood pressure and its related conditions. In patients for whom an ACE inhibitor is no longer considered appropriate, an antihypertensive drug belonging to the AIIA class could be prescribed. Cozaar (losartan) is the first and leading AIIA agent worldwide.
Cholesterol. Cholesterol is an essential body fat. It is present in food and is also produced by the liver. Some cholesterol is always present in the bloodstream, but people with heart disease have been found to have abnormally high levels of cholesterol in their blood. Cholesterol embedded in the walls of the arteries cause the passageway of these blood vessels to narrow, thereby increasing the risk of a heart attack.
If your cholesterol levels are high, the first step is to change your diet. Fat intake, particularly saturated fat, should be reduced immediately. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables that contain lots of fiber, can help tremendously. Moderate exercise is also good. If your doctor tells you that your cholesterol level is still too high, medication should be an option. Your doctor may prescribe you a cholesterol lowering drug known as 'statins'. Zocor (simvastatin), a member of this class of drugs, is one of the world's most widely used cholesterol lowering medications, and has a proven long-term safety profile with more than ten years of experience in clinical practice.
Diabetes. Diabetic people have trouble controlling the level of sugar in their blood. If not properly controlled, diabetes can lead to a range of other ailments including coronary heart disease. Reduced sugar intake, to help control the blood sugar, combined with a low-fat high-fiber diet, would do a lot of good.
Smoking. When people are young they usually do not consider the long-term effects of smoking. By the time they are older, they get so hooked on smoking that they find it nearly impossible to stop the habit. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that smoking is the main cause of death (20-25%) from heart diseases. Smoking causes the arteries to narrow. It is also the major cause of lung cancer, which is the No. 1 cause of death among males afflicted with cancer, and is emerging to be No. 3 among the females in the Philippines.
Overweight. Being overweight or obesity, may lead to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. A body weight of 20% or more in excess of the ideal body weight for your age, gender, height, and bone frame size, is called Obesity. Proper weight loss can help reduce your risk of heart disease considerably. Exercise and a sensible diet can help reduce your weight.
Excessive Alcohol Intake. Besides liver damage, nervous system damage, and gastrointestinal disorders like peptic ulcers and pancreatitis, large amounts of alcohol can also damage the heart muscle directly - a disease described as alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Exercise. Regular exercise can help build stamina and increase your energy level. It not only helps you lose weight, but can help relieve stress too. However, persons already diagnosed with coronary heart disease or any other medical problem, may need to consult with their doctor before embarking on any exercise program.
Stress. Learn to relax and rest when tense or tired. Take time off to relax your mind and body, and recharge your energy. Try to reduce workloads to lessen the stress. Learn to balance work, play, and relaxation.
Knowing the risk factors we can change, gives us an opportunity to reduce, if not prevent, our chances of developing coronary heart disease. As they say "knowing and doing are two different things". That's why it is important to act now. Make those changes, it may cost you your life.
Many factors are believed to play a part in a person's chance of developing heart disease. One's family history, gender, and age are immutable factors that predisposes an individual to heart disease. If your family has a history of Coronary Heart Disease and you are an aging male past his 30's - you run the risk of CHD.
Many believe that an individual's way of life and environment contributes largely to one's heart condition. Smoking, excessive alcohol intake, stress, overweight and lack of exercise have been identified as the culprits behind heart disease. Major changes in one's lifestyle and a 'slowing down' in activity can do wonders for the heart. Unfortunately, more often than not, patients make these changes only after surviving a heart attack or having undergone a triple bypass.
However, other factors have also come into play. A person's blood pressure level, cholesterol level, and diabetes have surfaced as major risk factors to Coronary Heart Disease. Unlike heredity, gender and age, these other risk factors can be controlled. To lower our risk of a heart ailment, it would be good to understand the 'whys' and 'hows' of each risk factor.
Blood Pressure. In order to cause the blood to circulate around the body, the heart has to pump the blood through the blood vessels. Any resistance in the blood vessels would cause the heart to work harder. This added resistance causes the blood pressure to increase and places undue stress on the heart.
It is important to have your blood pressure checked and monitored regularly by a doctor.
If you are diagnosed to have high blood pressure - regular exercise, weight loss, and reduced salt intake can help lower it. Some people, however, need medicines like antihypertensive drugs, to help them lower their blood pressure. Antihypertensive medications include : Diuretics, Beta blockers, Alpha blockers, Calcium-channel blockers, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and Angiotensin II Antagonists (AIIA). ACE inhibitors like Renitec (enalapril maleate) are considered the gold standard in treating high blood pressure and its related conditions. In patients for whom an ACE inhibitor is no longer considered appropriate, an antihypertensive drug belonging to the AIIA class could be prescribed. Cozaar (losartan) is the first and leading AIIA agent worldwide.
Cholesterol. Cholesterol is an essential body fat. It is present in food and is also produced by the liver. Some cholesterol is always present in the bloodstream, but people with heart disease have been found to have abnormally high levels of cholesterol in their blood. Cholesterol embedded in the walls of the arteries cause the passageway of these blood vessels to narrow, thereby increasing the risk of a heart attack.
If your cholesterol levels are high, the first step is to change your diet. Fat intake, particularly saturated fat, should be reduced immediately. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables that contain lots of fiber, can help tremendously. Moderate exercise is also good. If your doctor tells you that your cholesterol level is still too high, medication should be an option. Your doctor may prescribe you a cholesterol lowering drug known as 'statins'. Zocor (simvastatin), a member of this class of drugs, is one of the world's most widely used cholesterol lowering medications, and has a proven long-term safety profile with more than ten years of experience in clinical practice.
Diabetes. Diabetic people have trouble controlling the level of sugar in their blood. If not properly controlled, diabetes can lead to a range of other ailments including coronary heart disease. Reduced sugar intake, to help control the blood sugar, combined with a low-fat high-fiber diet, would do a lot of good.
Smoking. When people are young they usually do not consider the long-term effects of smoking. By the time they are older, they get so hooked on smoking that they find it nearly impossible to stop the habit. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that smoking is the main cause of death (20-25%) from heart diseases. Smoking causes the arteries to narrow. It is also the major cause of lung cancer, which is the No. 1 cause of death among males afflicted with cancer, and is emerging to be No. 3 among the females in the Philippines.
Overweight. Being overweight or obesity, may lead to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. A body weight of 20% or more in excess of the ideal body weight for your age, gender, height, and bone frame size, is called Obesity. Proper weight loss can help reduce your risk of heart disease considerably. Exercise and a sensible diet can help reduce your weight.
Excessive Alcohol Intake. Besides liver damage, nervous system damage, and gastrointestinal disorders like peptic ulcers and pancreatitis, large amounts of alcohol can also damage the heart muscle directly - a disease described as alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Exercise. Regular exercise can help build stamina and increase your energy level. It not only helps you lose weight, but can help relieve stress too. However, persons already diagnosed with coronary heart disease or any other medical problem, may need to consult with their doctor before embarking on any exercise program.
Stress. Learn to relax and rest when tense or tired. Take time off to relax your mind and body, and recharge your energy. Try to reduce workloads to lessen the stress. Learn to balance work, play, and relaxation.
Knowing the risk factors we can change, gives us an opportunity to reduce, if not prevent, our chances of developing coronary heart disease. As they say "knowing and doing are two different things". That's why it is important to act now. Make those changes, it may cost you your life.
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