Health Digest Daily » Heart Disease

Rheumatic Heart Disease is Treatable

Sunny — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:30:08 +0000

Rheumatic heart disease, also called rheumatic fever, occurs when an untreated strep throat infection migrates to the joints and heart, causing fever, muscle aches, and possible permanent heart valve damage. Just as "rheumatism" refers to joint pain, "rheumatic" fever gets its name because one of its main symptoms is actually pain in the joints rather than the heart.

The National Institute of Health estimate that rheumatic heart disease develops in about 3% of untreated strep throat infections in the United States. Because mainly young people get strep, accordingly rheumatic heart disease mostly strikes people aged between six and fifteen years old.

Most people in the west who get strep will never develop rheumatic heart disease, because the strep throat infection is treated effectively with antibiotics. However, if fever, irregular heart beat, nodes under the skin, and other symptoms appear after a strep infection, a doctor will perform lab tests to diagnose rheumatic fever.

Penicillin treats rheumatic heart disease symptoms, including the contraction of the heart, which may damage heart valves; however, there is no cure for the disease, and patients must continue with penicillin injections. Some doctors argue this treatment should continue for the rest of the patient's life. Left untreated, besides the symptoms of physical pain, rheumatic heart disease can cause permanent heart valve damage. Without surgery, heart valve damage can lead to fatal heart failure.

Cases And Treatment Worldwide

Doctors working with the Australian National Heart Foundation are working on a vaccine to prevent rheumatic fever. After an unexplained jump in the number of cases among the Aboriginal population of Australia from 2004 to 2006, doctors launched the world's most advanced investigation of rheumatic heart disease.

In New Zealand as well, rheumatic fever is a problem among some populations, and the treatment there is penicillin shots every month for ten years. One famous rugby player, a childhood victim of rheumatic heart disease, admits to "getting lazy" about having his shots, and the symptoms of the disease returned to him as an adult. Luckily, he knew his problem and how to get help. Some people, especially those with little access to health care, simply suffer through fever attacks, and fall victim to heart valve failure.

In fact, the World Heart Federation in Geneva, Switzerland calls rheumatic fever a disease born of poverty. Though it is easily prevented by a good strep throat treatment, many young people of the world do not have access to the healthcare that would keep their heart valves healthy and extend their lives.

Information on Heart Disease: Learning is the Key

Sunny — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:11 +0000

Heart disease is the number one killer in America. It's estimated that more than 58 million Americans have some form of heart disease. The key to stopping such as a problematic illness like heart disease is to find out as much as we can about it and, more importantly, how to prevent it.

Information on heart disease is not hard to find; in fact, your doctor probably has several good reads on the subject in his office. If you don't have a doctor, then just open your local newspaper. With such important status, you would be hard pressed not to find an article or other piece of information on heart disease from your local health center or hospital. Also, search the web where all the information on heart disease that you want is only a few keystrokes.

What to Look For

The information you'll want to research are things such as: risk factors, prevention, the latest scientific research, symptoms, and treatments. This vital information on heart disease is important to understanding it. By learning as much as we can about heart disease, we can hopefully prevent it and all go on to live long, healthy, productive lives.

By looking at such information on heart disease, we learn that certain risk factors that can cause it. These risk factors include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. More personal risk factors include: being overweight, smoking, a lack of physical exercise, and stress. By learning what behaviors attract heart disease, we can find out just which habits we might want to avoid.

Why You Should be Informed

Prevention is the best way to avoid ever having to deal with the disease. Through information on heart disease, we can adopt certain lifestyle changes, avoid getting heart disease, and possibly stop this problem from spreading any further.

By reading about the latest research, symptoms, and treatments, we can keep abreast of the latest findings regarding this killer disease. More importantly, we can educate others about this horrible disease, others who may be seeking information on heart disease just like you.

It's important that we seek out information on heart disease to learn as much as we can about it so we can stop it in its tracks. Only by learning about it and applying what we've learned, can we stop this disease. The more information we have, the more ammunition we have to defeat this killer of so many Americans.

What is a Myocardial Infarction?

Sunny — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:30:04 +0000

Myocardial infarction (MI) means that part of the heart muscle suddenly loses its blood supply. Without immediate treatment, this can lead to damage to the affected part of the heart. An MI is often called a heart attack or a coronary thrombosis.

The heart pumps blood into arteries (blood vessels) which take the blood to every part of the body. The heart muscle, like all muscles, always needs a good blood supply. The coronary arteries take blood to the heart muscle. The main coronary arteries branch off from the aorta. (The aorta. is the large artery that takes oxygen-rich blood from the heart chambers to the body.) The main coronary arteries divide into smaller branches then take blood to all parts of the heart muscle.

If someone has an MI, a coronary artery, or one of its smaller branches is suddenly blocked. The part of the heart muscle supplied by this artery loses its oxygen and blood supply. This part of the heart muscle is at risk of dying, unless the blockage is quickly undone. The word 'infarction' means death of some tissue due to a blocked artery which stops blood from getting past.

If one of the main coronary arteries is blocked, a large part of the heart muscle is affected. If a smaller branch artery is blocked, a smaller amount of heart muscle is affected. In people who survive an MI, the part of the heart muscle that dies ('infarcts') is replaced by scar tissue over the next few weeks.

A small MI occasionally happens without causing pain (a 'silent MI'). It may be pain-free, or sometimes the pain is mild and you may think it is only heartburn or 'wind'. Collapse and sudden death may occur with a large or severe MI.

MI's are easier to diagnose these days due to the increase in technology advances. They may become avoidable through greater education and healthier choices in lifestyle

What is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?

Sunny — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:30:11 +0000

This is a type of heart surgery. It's sometimes called CABG ("cabbage"). The surgery reroutes, or "bypasses," blood around clogged arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart.

The arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) can become clogged by plaque (a buildup of fat, cholesterol plus other substances). This can then slow or stop blood flow through the heart's blood vessels, leading to chest pain or a heart attack. Increasing blood flow to the heart muscle can relieve chest pain and also reduce the risk of heart attack.

Surgeons take a segment of a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body, and then make a detour around the blocked part of the coronary artery. An artery may be detached from the chest wall and the open end attached to the coronary artery below the blocked area. Or a piece of a long vein in your leg may be taken. One end is sewn onto the large artery leaving your heart – the aorta. The other end of the vein is attached or "grafted" to the coronary artery below the blocked area.

Either way, blood can then utilize use this new path to flow freely to the heart muscle.
A patient may undergo one, two, three or more bypass grafts, depending on how many coronary arteries are blocked.

Cardiopulmonary bypass with a pump oxygenator (heart-lung machine) is used for most coronary bypass graft operations. This means that besides the surgeon, a team made up of a cardiac anesthesiologist and surgical nurse, a competent perfusionist (blood flow specialist) are required.

What happens after bypass surgery?
After surgery, the patient is moved to a hospital bed in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit. Heart rate and blood pressure monitoring devices continuously monitor the patient for 12 to 24 hours.

Guide to Coronary Heart Disease

Sunny — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:45:04 +0000

Coronary heart disease (CHD), also known as coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerotic heart disease, is the result of accumulation of atheromatous plaques (an abnormal inflammatory accumulation of the macrophage white blood cells) within the walls of the arteries.

The symptoms and signs of coronary heart disease can only be noted in the advanced state of the disease. Most individuals who suffer from coronary heart disease can have no evidence of its existence for long periods of time before they have a stroke.

Causes of Coronary Heart Disease

- Family history of coronary heart disease
- Males are more prone to this particular disease
- Being 65-years-old or greater
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Lack of physical activities
- Menopause in women
- Infection that causes inflammation of the artery wall

Symptoms leading to coronary heart disease may not always be easily readable, as many live with clogged arteries for years before they realize they have a problem. Usually people suffering from coronary heart disease walk in the emergency room with a heart attack on their hands.

Here are some of the symptoms that may help you recognize this disease:

- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath

As prevention is always better then treatment, one should try and have regular check ups and follow the doctor's advice. Knowing in time that you are likely to have a heart problem may save you from being faced with an emergency situation, which can sometimes turn to be fatal.

Preventing Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is the most common of heart diseases in the western world. Here are some ways to prevent ever suffering from it in the near future:

- Decrease your cholesterol level.
- Maintain your ideal body weight – obesity is one of the main factors of coronary heart disease.
- If you are a smoker, this is yet another reason you should stop smoking.
- Have a healthy diet and exercise – some doctors strongly recommend diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C.

Proper diet and exercise have always have always been the key to maintaining one's health, and for centuries man has practiced this as being the best natural medicine.

Health is our most valuable possession, which often cannot be bought back once lost. One should try to make an effort to maintain what we naturally have – good health; as an old saying goes 'health is wealth' after all, treasure it while you still have it.

What is Peripheral Vascular Disease?

Sunny — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:30:07 +0000

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) involves damage to or blockage in the blood vessels distant from your heart, the peripheral arteries and veins. The peripheral arteries and veins carry blood to and from arm and leg muscles plus the organs in and below the stomach area. PVD may also affect the arteries leading to your head. The main forms PVD may take include blood clots, swelling (inflammation), or narrowing and blockage of the blood vessels.

Diseases of the arteries may lead to Arterial Blockage, Aortic aneurysms, Buerger's Disease and Raynaud's's phenomenon.
Disease of the veins may lead to Venous Blood Clots, Pulmonary embolism, Phlebitis or Varicose veins.

Arterial Blockage – similar to the coronary arteries, the peripheral arteries can become blocked by plaque.

What causes arterial blockage? PVD can result from a condition known as atherosclerosis (a waxy substance forms inside of the arteries). This substance is called plaque. It is made of cholesterol, fats, calcium, and a blood-clotting material called fibrin.
When enough plaque builds up on the inside of an artery, the artery becomes clogged, and then blood flow is either slowed or stopped. The slowed blood flow may cause "ischemia," which means the body's cells are not getting enough oxygen.

While clogged coronary arteries (arteries supplying the heart with blood) may lead to a
heart attack, and clogged carotid arteries (arteries supply the head with blood) may lead to a stroke. Clogged peripheral arteries in the lower part mostly cause pain and cramping in the legs.

The risk factors for atherosclerosis in the peripheral arteries are the same as those for atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are believed to lead to the development of plaque.
Patients may feel pain in their calves, thighs, or buttocks, depending on where the blockage is. Usually, the amount of pain felt is a sign of how severe the blockage is.

For any chest pain it is wise to see your doctor.

Arrhythmias Abnormal Heartbeats

Sunny — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:30:18 +0000

Some people who have abnormal heartbeats may not even be aware of them. Awareness of heartbeats (called palpitations) varies widely among people. Some people can feel normal heartbeats, and most people can feel heartbeats when they lie on their left side.

Arrhythmias have consequences that range from harmless to life threatening. The seriousness of an arrhythmia may not be closely linked with the severity of the symptoms it causes. Often, the nature and severity of the underlying heart disease are more important than the arrhythmia itself. Some life-threatening arrhythmias cause no symptoms. Otherwise inconsequential arrhythmias can cause severe symptoms.

When arrhythmias impair the person's heart's ability to pump blood, they can produce weakness, a reduced capacity for exercise, light-headedness, dizziness, and fainting. Fainting occurs when the heart is pumping so inefficiently, it can no longer maintain enough blood pressure. If such an arrhythmia persists, death may be a direct result.

Arrhythmias may also aggravate the symptoms of underlying heart disease, including chest pain and shortness of breath. Arrhythmias that produce symptoms require prompt attention.
Often, a person's description of symptoms can help doctors make a preliminary diagnosis, determining the severity of the arrhythmia. The most important considerations are whether the palpitations are fast or slow, regular or irregular. If the palpitations are brief or prolonged? Whether or not the arrhythmia itself produces symptoms?

Doctors also need to know whether the palpitations occur. At rest or only during strenuous or unusual activity, whether they start and stop suddenly or gradually. However, certain diagnostic procedures are often needed to determine the exact nature of the arrhythmia and its cause

People with suspected life-threatening arrhythmias are usually hospitalized. Their heart rhythm is continuously recorded and displayed on a television-type monitor by the bedside or nursing station. Thus, any problems can be identified promptly.

Ischemic Heart Disease and the Western World

Sunny — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:30:14 +0000

Ischemic heart disease is the proper medical term for reduced blood flow to the heart – it is ultimately caused by hardened or blocked arteries, and it is the number one cause of death in most western countries.

From the time people are very young, as young as five years old, they can start developing tissue deposits, called plaque, in the lining of their arteries. For many people, these deposits never cause trouble. For others, the deposits can grow, harden, and eventually cause death. The growth of these tissues is called arteriosclerosis.

As these tissues grow, the arteries will enlarge some to try and accommodate blood flow. However, if the blob of plaque ruptures, the particles clog blood passages causing a heart attack or stroke, in the worst cases.

Please, Pass On The Fats

Scientists know what causes ischemic heart disease: a fatty diet, inaction, and smoking. While smoking is certainly not limited to rich countries, a fatty diet and inaction are luxuries of middle- and upper-class populations.

In Europe and the United States, calories are cheap and plentiful. For an hour's wage, a person can buy a meal containing a pound of meat. However, in some countries, a pound of meat is a treat to be divided within one family once a month. No doctor recommends either extreme of poor or rich food, but rather, everyone needs a healthy, balanced, but lean diet to prevent ischemic heart disease.

However, some doctors have an idea about using peer pressure to make westerners make themselves healthier. Thirty years ago, few Americans wore seatbelts. And many more smoked cigarettes than do now. Laws played a part in changing behavior, but in both of these cases, peer pressure really started the trend. And many scientists, nutritionists, and activists, worried about ischemic heart disease, are trying to repeat the trend for healthier diets.

And this power of healthy suggestion seems to be working on restaurants. Especially since 2004, fast food chains have started to offer healthier menu choices such as yogurt, salads, and fruit. Many restaurants now print some nutrition information on their menus and offer specifically "heart-smart" recipes.

But the question is will people take advantage of healthier menus, city recreation departments, and fresh vegetables at the grocery store? So far, it does not seem so. Some scientists predict that 75% of all Americans will be overweight by 2008. Yet extra weight and the bad diet and inactivity that usually accompany it are causing an epidemic of ischemic heart disease.

What is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?

Sunny — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:30:04 +0000

This is a type of heart surgery. It's sometimes called CABG ("cabbage"). The surgery reroutes, or "bypasses," blood around clogged arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart.

Rheumatic Fever and Heart Disease

Sunny — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:30:02 +0000

Before antibiotic medicines became widely used, rheumatic fever was the largest cause of valve disease. Rheumatic fever is a condition that is a complication of untreated strep throat. Strep throat is caused by a group A streptococcal infection found in the throat.

Rheumatic fever can damage body tissues by causing them to swell, but its greatest danger lies in the damage it can do to your heart. More than half of the time, rheumatic fever leads to scarring of the heart's valves. This scarring can narrow the valve and make it harder for the valve to open properly or to close completely. In turn, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the rest of your body. This valve damage can lead to a condition called rheumatic heart disease, which, in time, can lead to congestive heart failure.
Rheumatic fever is not an infection itself, rather the result of an untreated strep infection. When the body senses the strep infection, it sends antibodies to fight it. Sometimes, these antibodies attack the tissues of joints or the heart instead. If the antibodies attack the heart they can cause the heart valves to swell, which can lead to scarring of the valve "doors." (The doors are called leaflets.) The scarred leaflets make it harder for the valve to either open or close properly, or both.

The symptoms of rheumatic fever usually begin 1 to 6 weeks after a strep infection. The symptoms are fever, joint pain or swelling in your wrists, elbows, knees, or ankles. Small bumps under the skin over elbows or knees (called nodules). Maybe a small raised red rash on the chest, back, or stomach, experience stomach pain or feeling less hungry. Weakness, shortness of breath, or feeling very tired

Please remember that Rheumatic Fever needs immediate medical attention!

Prognosis and Treatment of Abnormal Heartbeats

Sunny — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:15:02 +0000

Most arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) neither cause symptoms nor interfere with the heart's ability to pump blood. Thus, they usually pose little or no risk. They can cause considerable anxiety if a person becomes aware of them. There are some arrhythmias, harmless in themselves that can lead to more serious arrhythmias.

Any arrhythmia that impairs the heart's ability to pump blood adequately is serious. How serious, depends in part on where the arrhythmia originates. Is it in the heart's normal pacemaker, in the atria, or in the ventricles? Generally, arrhythmias which originate in the ventricles are more serious than those that originate in the atria. These are more serious than those that originate in the pacemaker. However, there are many exceptions.

For people who have a harmless, yet worrisome arrhythmia, reassurance that the arrhythmia is harmless may be treatment enough. Sometimes arrhythmias occur less often or even stop, when doctors change a person's drugs or adjust the dosages. Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, smoking, or strenuous exercise can also help.

Antiarrhythmic drugs are useful for suppressing fast arrhythmias that cause intolerable symptoms or pose a risk. No single drug cures all arrhythmias in people. Sometimes several drugs must be tried until the response is satisfactory. Sometimes antiarrhythmic drugs can worsen or even cause arrhythmias; this effect is called proarrhythmia. Antiarrhythmic drugs can also produce other side effects.

Artificial pacemakers are electronic devices that act in place of the heart's own pacemaker. These devices are implanted surgically under the skin, usually below the left or right collarbone. They are connected to the heart by wires running inside a vein. New circuitry has almost completely eliminated the risk of interference from automobile distributors, radar, microwaves, and airport security detectors.

Any abnormality within the chest is wise to get checked out by your family doctor.

What are the symptoms of a Myocardial Infarction?

Sunny — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:00:03 +0000

Severe chest pain is the main symptom. The pain may also travel up into the jaw, down the left arm, or down both arms. The person may also be sweating, feel sick, and feel faint. The pain may be similar to angina; however, it is usually more severe and lasts longer. Angina usually goes off after a few minutes. MI pain usually lasts more than 15 minutes – sometimes several hours.

A small MI occasionally happens without causing pain (a 'silent MI'). It may be truly pain-free, or sometimes the pain is so mild and that the may think it is only heartburn or 'wind'. Collapse and sudden death may occur with a large or severe MI.

Many people recover well from an MI with no complications. Before discharge from hospital, it is common for a doctor or nurse to advise you how to reduce any risk factors. This advice aims to reduce the risk of a future MI as much as possible.

Emergency angioplasty is used in some cases as an alternative to a 'clot busting' drug in some hospitals. In this procedure a tiny wire with a balloon at the end is put into a large artery in the groin or arm. It is then passed up to the heart and into the blocked section of a coronary artery using special x-ray guidance. The balloon is then blown up inside the blocked part of the artery to open it wide again.

This often depends on the amount of heart muscle that is damaged. In many cases only a small part of the heart muscle is damaged (infarcts or dies) which heals as a small patch of scar tissue. The heart can usually function normally with a small patch of scar tissue. A larger MI is more likely to be life-threatening or cause complications

Disease of The Mitral Valve

Sunny — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:15:02 +0000

Diseases of the heart valves are grouped according to which valve or valves are involved plus the amount of blood flow that is disrupted by the problem. The most common and serious valve problems happen in the mitral and aortic valves. Diseases of the tricuspid and pulmonary valves are fairly rare.

The mitral valve regulates the flow of blood from the upper-left chamber (the left atrium) to the lower-left chamber (the left ventricle).

Mitral Valve Prolapse

The mitral valve regulates the flow of blood from the upper-left chamber (the left atrium) to the lower-left chamber (the left ventricle). Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) means that one or both of the valve flaps (called cusps or leaflets) are enlarged, and the flaps' supporting muscles are too long. Instead of closing evenly, one or both of the flaps collapse or bulge into the left atrium. MVP is often called click-murmur syndrome because when the valve does not close properly, it makes a clicking sound and then a murmur.

What causes MVP? MVP is one of the most common forms of valve disease. It is also genetic running in families.

What are the symptoms? Most people with MVP do not have symptoms. When symptoms do happen, they may include
* Shortness of breath, especially when lying down.
* Chest pain.
* Extreme fatigue.
* Heart palpitations.
* Coughing.
* Trouble breathing after exercise.

Most of the time, MVP is not a serious condition. Some patients say they feel palpitations or sharp chest pain.

Mitral Regurgitation is also called mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence. This happens when the mitral valve allows a backflow of blood into the heart's upper-left chamber (the left atrium). Mitral regurgitation can take years to reveal itself.

If it goes on long enough, it may cause a buildup of pressure in the lungs or cause the heart to enlarge. In time, this will lead to symptoms.

What Is Heart Disease?

Sunny — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:00:05 +0000

The heart is the center of the body's cardiovascular system. Throughout the body's blood vessels, the heart pumps blood to all of the body's cells. The blood carries oxygen, which the cells need. Heart disease is a group of medical problems that occur when the heart and blood vessels aren't working the way they should.

How Do You Get Heart Disease?

Heart disease is not contagious so it cannot be caught like the common cold or the everyday flu. There are certain things that can increase a person's chances of getting cardiovascular disease, also known as Heart disease. These are commonly known as risk factors.
Some of these risk factors a person are not able to do anything about, such as getting older or having people in their family who have the same heart problem. Risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, being overweight, and not exercising enough can increase the risk of getting heart disease.

What Are the Signs of Heart Disease?

Many people do not realize they have cardiovascular disease. Often it isn't known until they have a chest pain, a heart attack, or stroke. These kinds of problems often need immediate attention and the person may need to go to the emergency department of a hospital for an assessment.

If the condition proves not to be an emergency, and a doctor suspects the person could have cardiovascular disease, the doctor can do some tests to find out more about how the heart and blood vessels are working.

These tests include electrocardiograms. This test records the heart's electrical activity. The person becomes attached to a monitor and the heartbeat is watched on a machine to see if it is normal or not.

Cardiovascular disease is a common problem within society as a whole. With better choices in eating, exercising and decreased stress levels, anyone can have a happier and healthy life.

Sick Sinus Syndrome in Heart Disease

Sunny — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:45:03 +0000

Any irregularity in your heart's natural rhythm is called an arrhythmia. Almost everyone's heart skips a beat now and again, and these mild palpitations are usually harmless.

Electrical impulses from the heart muscle (the myocardium) cause the heart to beat (contract). This electrical signal begins in the Sinoatrial Node, also called the SA node or the sinus node. The SA node is located at the top of the heart's upper-right chamber (the right atrium). The SA node is sometimes called the heart's "natural pacemaker." When an electrical impulse is released from the SA node, it causes the heart's upper chambers to contract.
Sick sinus syndrome is a type of arrhythmia. These are a group of signs and symptoms that tells doctors the SA node is not working properly. The SA node usually sends electrical impulses at a certain rate, but if the SA node is not working properly, the heart may beat too fast, too slow, or both.

Sick sinus syndrome usually develops slowly over many years, and the causes are not always known. It occurs more often in people over fifty, and children might develop the condition after having open heart surgery.

Many people with sick sinus syndrome do not have symptoms. Or they do not think their symptoms are serious enough for them to see a doctor. Some signs and symptoms of sick sinus syndrome are fainting, being dizzy, confusion that comes and goes, feeling the hear has skipped a beat (palpitations), chest pain, angina, fatigue, shortness of breathe aching muscles.

Sick sinus syndrome can be hard to diagnose as the patient may not have many of the symptoms. The doctor will take a medical history, ask about symptoms, and listen to the heart with a stethoscope. With the stethoscope, the doctor may be able to hear an irregular heartbeat, which can be a sign of sick sinus syndrome.

Myocarditis

Sunny — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:30:18 +0000

The myocardium is the muscular wall of the heart, or the heart muscle. It contracts to pump blood out of the heart, and then relaxes as the heart refills with returning blood. The myocardium's smooth outer membrane is called the epicardium. Its inner lining is called the endocardium.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the myocardium. When the heart becomes inflamed, it
Is unable to pump as well because of damage to its cells and swelling (edema). The heart muscle may be damaged even more if the body's immune system sends antibodies to try to fight whatever started the inflammation. Sometimes, these antibodies attack the tissues of the heart instead. If too many heart muscle cells are damaged, the heart muscle becomes weakened. In some cases, this process happens very quickly and results in heart failure or even sudden death.

More often, the heart attempts to heal itself. The heart muscle heals by changing the damaged or dead heart muscle cells into scar tissue. Scar tissue is not like heart muscle tissue because it does not contract and it cannot help the heart to pump. If enough scar tissue forms in the heart, it can lead to congestive heart failure or dilated cardiomyopathy.
Myocarditis is a rare condition. The inflammation of the heart muscle may be caused by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. Rheumatic Fever, drug or chemical poisoning or connective tissue diseases, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

With a mild case of myocarditis, there may be no symptoms at all. You may have a fever, an achy feeling in your chest, and severe fatigue, as if you have a bad cold or flu. Some people have an irregular heartbeat or trouble breathing. Usually, a mild case of myocarditis will go away without any lasting damage.

With any chest pain, please see your doctor.

Depression and Coronary Heart Disease

Sunny — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:30:05 +0000

Depression is now considered a major health problem, particularly those health problems related to heart disease. It is now important to recognize that depression is directly linked with heart disease. Depression is an illness that can affect anyone at any time.

Research shows that depression is extremely common with people who have coronary heart disease. Depression is known to increase the risk of further heart problems in people with coronary disease. Depression is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Depression is sometimes under recognized and under treated. Depression once diagnosed can be treated efficiently.

What is depression? Depression is not only a low mood or feeling sad, it is a recognized and often life threatening illness. People with depression generally feel sad, down or miserable most of the time. They find it hard to do normal activities and functions from day to day. Depression has serious effects on physical as well as mental health. Depression is a very common illness that affects millions of people throughout the world.

What are the treatments for depression?
Exercise programs have been shown to have a huge impact on people with cardiac conditions. Light through to moderate exercise programs have been shown to have wonderful results for people with the less severe types of depression. However more severe types of depression require different types of treatment and it is important to know then treating depression, there are effective psychological or pharmaceutical treatments.

Psychological treatments look at issues which relate particularly to people with depression. These include such things as altering negative patterns of thinking or sorting out relationship difficulties.

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is to correct the way people think and Interpersonal therapy (IPT) to improve relationships between people. Depression is not a transferable disease and an illness which needs to be understood more today as so many people throughout the globe are affected by it.

Ways to reduce the risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Sunny — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:15:07 +0000

Many people can do with lowering the risk factors that lead to heart disease. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors in one person. These include elevated blood pressure. Abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen), insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can't properly use insulin or blood sugar).

Incorporate as many lifestyle changes as possible. Such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and losing weight. This will dramatically reduce the risk of diseases associated with metabolic syndrome such as diabetes and heart disease.
Make dietary changes and stick to them! Eat plenty of natural wholegrain foods, vegetables and fruit. To help with weight loss, reduce the amount of food eaten and limit foods high in fat or sugar.

Reduce saturated fats such as meat, full cream dairy and many processed foods as this will help improve your cholesterol levels. Also reduce the amount of alcohol to less than two standard drinks a day as this may help to lower triglyceride levels.
Increase your physical activity level as regular exercise improves and raises the level of HDL ('good') cholesterol in your blood. This helps which helps remove excess cholesterol from your body and protect against heart disease. Exercised muscle cells are also more sensitive to insulin.

Manage your weight by increasing physical activity and improving eating habits will help you lose excess body fat. As a result, your blood pressure may drop and your cells will be more sensitive to insulin.

Quit smoking as smoking increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer and lung disease. Quitting will have many health benefits, especially if you have metabolic syndrome.

Lifestyle changes are extremely important in the management of metabolic syndrome. Sometimes medication may be necessary to manage the different conditions.

What causes Myocardial Infarction?

Sunny — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:45:06 +0000

The most common cause of a Myocardial Infarction (MI) is a blood clot known as thrombosis. This forms inside a coronary artery, or one of its branches. This blocks the blood flow to a part of the heart.

Blood clots do not usually form in normal arteries. However, a clot may form if there is some atheroma within the lining of the artery. An Atheroma is similar to fatty patches or 'plaques' that develop, inside the lining of arteries. Plaques of atheroma may gradually form over a number of years, in one or more places within the coronary arteries. Each plaque has an outer firm shell with a soft inner fatty core.

A 'crack' develops in the outer shell of the atheroma plaque. This is called 'plaque rupture'. This exposes the softer inner core of the plaque to blood. This can then trigger the clotting mechanism in the blood to form a blood clot. Therefore, a build up of atheroma is the base problem that leads to most cases of MI.

However; atheroma may develop in any section of the coronary arteries. 'Clot busting' drugs can break up the clot and undo the blockage. If given quickly enough this prevents damage to the heart muscle, or limits the extent of the damage. Aspirin is an example of an anti-clogging medication.

There are a number of other uncommon conditions that can block a coronary artery and cause an MI. For example, inflammation of the coronary arteries (rare); a stab wound to the heart; a blood clot forming elsewhere in the body (for example, in a heart chamber) and traveling to a coronary artery where it gets stuck. Cocaine abuse can cause a coronary artery to go into spasm. There may be complications from heart surgery or some other rare heart problems.

Death by Cardiac Arrest

Sunny — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:15:22 +0000

Sudden cardiac death (sudden arrest) is death resulting from a sudden heart attack (cardiac arrest). The victim may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. The time and mode of death are unexpected. It occurs within moments after symptoms appear. The most common reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease (fatty buildups in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle)

All known heart diseases can lead to cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. Most of the cardiac arrests that lead to sudden death occur when the electrical impulses in the diseased heart become rapid (ventricular tachycardia), chaotic (ventricular fibrillation) or both. This irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. Some cardiac arrests are due to extreme slowing of the heart. This is called bradycardia. Bradycardia is common in premature infants.

A large percentage of adult victims of sudden cardiac death, two or more major coronary arteries are narrowed by fatty buildups. Scarring from a prior heart attack is found in two-thirds of victims. When sudden death occurs in young adults, other heart abnormalities are more likely causes. Adrenaline released during intense physical or athletic activity often acts as a trigger for sudden death when these abnormalities are present. Under certain conditions, various heart medications and other drugs – as well as illegal drug abuse – can lead to abnormal heart rhythms that cause sudden death.

The term "massive heart attack" is often wrongly used in the media to describe sudden death. The term "heart attack" refers to death of heart muscle tissue due to the loss of blood supply, not necessarily resulting in a cardiac arrest or the death of the heart attack victim. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death, but the terms aren't synonymous.

Turn Back Time: Reversing Heart Disease

Sunny — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:45:06 +0000

Reversing heart disease can be done by adopting a few lifestyle changes. By avoiding certain risk factors that put you in harm's way of the disease to begin with, you can turn back the clock, so to speak, and continue to live a long, healthy life despite having a heart disease.

There are many different kinds of heart disease, but one of the factors that leads to most heart disease is a blockage to the arteries that feed blood to the heart. When the heart no longer gets a fresh supply of blood, it can die, and the result is a heart attack. By unclogging these arteries, you are essentially reversing heart disease and, therefore, healing your heart.

How You Can Reverse Heart Disease

Diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol can contribute to the blockage that causes most diseases of the heart. Reversing heart disease can be as simple as cleaning up your diet, by eating more fruits and vegetables, foods with a higher fiber content, and staying away from foods with too much saturated fat. By changing to a cleaner diet, you are one step closer to reversing a heart disease that has already claimed so many lives.

Another technique that works in reversing heart disease is getting more exercise. When you exercise, you increase your cardiovascular health, and your heart begins to work better. Exercise can be had anywhere, anytime, simply walk instead of drive your car, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or just walk around the block every night after dinner.

A more drastic move for reversing heart disease is surgery. Surgeons have been able to unblock arteries or bypass clogged arteries to improve blood flow to the heart. In many cases, surgery helps those who are afflicted with this horrible disease; however, for surgery to be effective, the heart disease must be caught early, just like most other diseases. Surgery can be an effective means for reversing heart disease, but the most effective way is to adopt good living habits once you find out you have it.

By adopting good living habits, eating right, getting more exercise, and reducing stress levels, you can go on to live a long, healthy, productive life even if you already have heart disease. Reversing heart disease does not need to inhibit your life or hold you back in any way; instead, by adopting good living habits, you can improve your life by turning back time to look and feel better.

Heart Disease in Women: The Number One Killer

Sunny — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:00:13 +0000

To understand the seriousness of heart disease in women, we need to first look at the facts. According to recent studies, it's found that more than 8 million American women are currently living with some form of heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women and more women than men die of heart disease each year.

Heart disease in women can be diagnosed and treated but the key to staying healthy is prevention. Once a woman finds out that she has heart disease, it may already be too late. Chances are, that woman has engaged in several risk factors throughout her lifetime that contributed to her contracting the disease. Such risk factors that increase the risk of heart disease in women include cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, not being active, diabetes and obesity.

Women need to understand that these risk factors need to be avoided as much as possible because they are so susceptible to the disease. Heart disease in women doesn't need to be as much of an epidemic it has become. With just a few lifestyle changes, all women can once more live long and healthy lives without the risk for heart disease.

Of course, there are other risk factors that increase the risk for heart disease in women that can't be helped. These risk factors include age, heredity, the effects of menopause, etc. By knowing this, women should arm themselves with as much information as they can so that they can know just what they are dealing with.

Heart disease in women doesn't need to have such a high morality rate.

By adopting a few lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise, eating right, quitting smoking and reducing stress levels, women can drastically reduce the propensity for heart disease. This is important not only for heart disease but for other diseases as well.

Heart disease in women does claim many lives each and every year but the disease can be manageable and preventable. Women need to study and learn as much as they can. They need to be educated. Not many women know that they have such a high probability of getting the disease. All women need to know that they have a greater risk of getting the disease than men. By understanding and knowing this, women will have a step up on this horrible disease and, maybe one day, heart disease in women will be a thing of the past.

EATING FOR A HEALTHY HEART

Sunny — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:00:25 +0000

For many years, the traditional western diet has very high in meat and animal fat, lacking in vegetables, fruits and grains. This has made people all over the world extremely vulnerable to heart and blood vessel disease.
By making some changes, it is possible to make a huge difference to the heart and general health. Start out with the changes one at a time, this way they are more likely to last. Start gradually, and see how many of these changes can be incorporated into your diet daily diet.

Discover the joy of cooking a simple nutritious meal! There are many wonderful recipes in books, online and even some family recipes wait to be discovered.
Choose a selection of wholegrain breads instead of white for a change. Eat more cereals such as rice, pasta and other grains. Legumes such as dried peas and beans are excellent to have as a side dish or add to a hot casserole on a cold winter's night.
Make lean meats a part of your diet as there are wonderful assortments of cuts to utilize in different dishes. Use only very small amounts of very lean meats, and eat poultry without skin.

Choose low-fat dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese. Make high fat foods such as a chocolate bar or cake an occasional treat. Rather than have high fats every day, be imaginative and see what low fat recipes and alternatives are available.
Fish is another excellent option! Eat it fresh or canned twice a week,
Use monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils such as olive oil, canola, sunflower and safflower for cooking.

Use small amounts of margarine spreads or olive oil instead of butter.
Grill, boil, steam, bake or microwave rather than fry.

Reduce your salt intake.

Drink plenty of water.

Discover the joy of cooking wholesome meals at home.

Heart Bypass and Cardiovascular disease

Sunny — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:00:40 +0000

The term Cardiovascular Disease covers a large number of diseases that directly affect the heart and the blood vessel system. It especially affects the veins and arteries that lead to and from the heart. Research has suggested that women who suffer with cardiovascular disease usually suffer from forms that affect the blood vessels. While men usually suffer from forms that affect the heart muscle itself. Other known or associated causes of cardiovascular disease include diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

Heart disease and strokes are other common cardiovascular diseases. Two independent risk factors that have a major impact for heart diseases, cardiovascular diseases, are high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.
Now day's heart disease does not have to be a death sentence. There are healthy lifestyle choices that can be made and science has come a long way in the early detection of heart disease.

There is a type of heart surgery, sometimes called CABG ("cabbage"). The surgery reroutes, or "bypasses," blood around clogged arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart.

A Brief Discussion of Heart Valve Disease

Sunny — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:03 +0000

As you may remember from high school health class, the heart is one of the strongest muscles in the human body. In addition, it is divided into two halves, called the atrium and the ventricle chambers. Between these two chambers are a set of valves that insure that the blood flows in only one direction. Occasionally however, these valves become damaged and the person could suffer from some sort of heart valve disease. If left unchecked, this disease can lead to heart failure and even death.

Signs and Symptoms

It is truly difficult to determine if a set of symptoms are a sign of heart valve disease, since many of them are so mild and can be attributed to a number of different conditions including asthma, heartburn, heart attack, or sometimes even pregnancy. The best thing to do is to have a running conversation with your medical professional concerning your thoughts and physical symptoms. Based on that complete picture, he or she should be able to diagnose your situation professionally. Heart valve disease is a serious condition, and should never be self-diagnosed.

However, there are a few common symptoms of heart valve disease that if you notice on a regular basis you should watch out for. If you experience dizzy spells or faintness brought on by physical activity, shortness of breath, or chest pain while doing physical activity it is certainly something to bring up to your doctor as soon as possible.

Possible Causes of Heart Valve Disease

Often heart valve disease is caused by a malformation of the valves that separate the two chambers of the heart. These deformities can include narrowed valves, and leaking valves.

Narrowed valves that can lead to valve heart disease can be caused by a number of things, some unpreventable, others that can be prevented. One cause of this condition is congenital abnormality, a condition that is often seen since birth. Another cause, one that can be prevented through diet exercise and perhaps medications is degeneration of the valve through atherosclerosis, or hardening of the blood vessels. In addition heart valve disease can also be caused by damage from rheumatic fever or extensive calcification that sometimes occurs in old age.

Leaking valves that can lead to heart valve disease can be caused by a number of additional factors. These include such things as a bacterial infection, or other inflammation of the valve, excessive floppiness of the valve leaflets, or even enlargement of the heart or the aorta. Any or all of these things can be the cause for leaking valves, and therefore heart valve disease.

Of course, heart valve disease is nothing to be flippant about. Although it doesn't always cause a life and death situation, it can lead to major complications with the heart, which is something that no person in their right mind would ever want. The best course of action, as true in any medical situation, is to talk to your doctor and be honest with him or her. Together you should be able to recognize a potential case of heart valve disease and make the necessary course changes.