Heart Health

Did you know?
The heart beats about 2.5 billion times over the average lifetime, pushing millions of gallons of blood to every part of the body. This steady flow carries with it oxygen, fuel, hormones, other compounds, and a host of essential cells. It also whisks away the waste products of metabolism. When the heart stops, essential functions fail, some almost instantly.
Harvard Health Publishing

 For a healthy heart, a person must have a healthy lifestyle. Adopting a healthy lifestyle at an early age helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases in the future. Majority of the people survive their first heart attack, basically, it is a sign of an unhealthy heart so it must not be neglected.

 A group of heart disorders and blood vessels is called cardiovascular diseases ( CVDs). It is the leading cause of death globally. Many people die across the globe due to CVDs each year. Therefore, early detection of cardiovascular diseases is beneficial, so that timely treatment could start.

Healthcare professionals in the field of cardiovascular health for decades are trying to create awareness of the importance of heart health, its causes, and the repercussions of neglecting it.

Access to treatment and medical facilities for cardiovascular diseases ( CVDs) varies all around the world. Over 75% of deaths that occur due to CVDs are in low-to-middle-income countries.

According to the American Heart Association, the following are the main common heart health-related conditions:

Unstable angina can be undiagnosed chest pain or a sudden worsening of existing angina. …

Heart attack. …

Heart failure. …

Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms) …

Valve disease. …

High blood pressure.

Congenital heart conditions. …

Inherited heart conditions

Heart failure (HF) is the most debilitating and deadly chronic disease; approximately 50% of people diagnosed with HF will die within 5 years, similar to a cancer prognosis

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, which killed 382,820 people in 2020. About 20.1 million adults aged 20 and above have CAD (about 7.2%). In 2020, about 2 in 10 deaths from CAD happened in adults of less than 65 years old. ( CDC)

Around 18 million adults worldwide aged 20 years and above have coronary artery disease (CAD), which is about 6.7% of that age group. (CDC)

Peripheral arterial disease

The peripheral arterial disease occurs when there’s a blockage in the arteries to the limbs, usually the legs.

Aortic disease

Aortic diseases are a group of conditions affecting the aorta. This is the largest blood vessel in the body, which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

One of the most common aortic diseases is an aortic aneurysm, where the aorta becomes weak and bulges outwards.

Approximately every 39 seconds, an American has a heart attack. (American Heart Association)

The cause of CVDs isn’t known but there are a lot of things that can increase the risk of getting it. These are called risk Factors.

Risk factors for heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases include:

• Smoking
• Lack of exercise
• Diet
• Obesity
• High Blood Pressure
• High LDL or low HDL cholesterol levels
• Family history of heart disease or another cardiovascular disease
• Age
• Diabetes
• Air pollution
• Psychological Stress

However, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are considered the leading cause of heart disease and stroke, because it damages the lining of the arteries, making them more susceptible to the buildup of plaque, which narrows the arteries leading to the heart and brain.

According to the American Heart Association following are a few of the important Heart Attack Symptoms

CHEST DISCOMFORT: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

DISCOMFORT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY: Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

SHORTNESS OF BREATH: with or without chest discomfort.

OTHER SIGNS: may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
Appropriate diet, healthy lifestyle, exercise, and quality of sleep can help to maintain a healthy heart from the start.
Dr. Essa Laboratory and Diagnosis centre team, with its founder Dr. Farhan Essa, aim to highlight and spread valuable information about the importance of heart-related diseases, their early detection, prevention, and treatment, for giving every human a chance to live a healthy life.

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