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Health issues - Ischemic heart diseases
11/Oct/2006: Ischemic or coronary heart diseases are a major cause of death among elderly people in the developed world. It is a condition in which the blood supply to the heart is disrupted due to blockages in coronary arteries, leading to death of heart tissues fed by those arteries, resulting in myocardial infarction (heart attack). Ischemic heart diseases are usually caused by atherosclerosis, a disease that hardens the arterial blood vessels by forming multiple cholesterol plaques within the artery.
Ischemic heart diseases usually develop over a period of time as cholesterol and fats build up within the arteries, blocking the flow of blood to the heart. This may lead to angina (severe chest pain) at the initial stages and a myocardial infarction occurs when the heart tissues, which are deprived of oxygen due to disruptions in blood supply, eventually dies.
Causes of Ischemic Heart Disease
Many factors are involved in the development of Ischemic or coronary heart disease, like smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia (high levels of cholesterol in the blood) and sedentary lifestyle. People who suffer from hypercholesterolemia, which is a metabolic disorder secondary to many diseases, are at a higher risk of developing ischemic heart diseases. Hypertension, genetic and hereditary factors also play a hand in determining the risk of this disease. Males are more likely to develop this disease than females; however older women are prone to this disease.
A few risk factors of Ischemic heart diseases are beyond our control, like sex, age, genetics and hereditary factors, but many other risk factors like smoking, obesity, blood pressure etc., can be controlled and treated to slow down or halt the progression of Ischemic heart diseases.
Symptoms of Ischemic Heart Disease
Angina is the first sign of this disease, and it is caused by the obstruction of blood supply to the heart. However in cases of vulnerable atheromatous plaques, myocardial infarction or stroke could occur without any warning. Arteriosclerosis (thickening of small arterioles) also signals an impending Ischemic heart disease.
Prevention or reducing the risk of Ischemic Heart Diseases
Controlling or avoiding the risk factors of this disease could help in its prevention or could slow down its progression. There are many ways to prevent or reduce the risk of Ischemic heart disease, and they are,
People who have a family history of Ischemic heart diseases should undergo clinical examination at regular intervals, to check for minor symptoms of this disease like thickening of arteries or arteriosclerosis
Controlling blood cholesterol levels can significantly reduce the risk of not only this disease, but of host of others diseases like, stroke, obesity etc., Cholesterol levels in the body can be controlled by exercising, eating healthy diet and medication
Hypertension also plays an important role in determining the risks of coronary heart diseases and it can be controlled by medication, exercising, and eating low salt/low fat food.
Food items rich in saturated fats can cause atherosclerosis, as it increases the lipid levels in the body. Avoiding such food items cold help in reducing the risk of Ischemic heart disease.
Regular exercises are essential for healthy living and they lower the risk of many diseases and conditions. Exercises bring down cholesterol levels in the body, reduce blood pressure, helps in weight loss and control diabetes. By doing so they prevent or reduce the risk of Ischemic heart diseases.
Quitting smoking can help to reduce the risk of all kinds of heart diseases, as smokers have twice the risk of developing heart diseases when compared to non-smokers. Effective drugs that can help in getting rid of this habit are available in the markets today.
Diabetes remains one of the major causes for Ischemic heart diseases and people with diabetes should be on continuous medication and diet control, if they wish to escape from Ischemic heart diseases.
Obesity or overweight can strain the heart muscles, resulting in hypertension, eventually leading to one or another form of heart disease. So controlling or losing weight is one of the best options to reduce the risk of Ischemic heart disease.
Treatment of Ischemic Heart Diseases
Many options ranging from simple drugs to invasive surgeries are available to treat Ischemic heart diseases. Nitrates that can dilate the blocked coronary arteries are administered to provide immediate relief to the patients. Coronary angioplasty is used to inflate a balloon within the blocked artery, opening up the blockage and it is widely used to treat Ischemic heart diseases in its advanced stage. In some cases Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) technique is used to treat this disease. Even though CABG is an invasive technique, it is very effective and increases the life expectancy of the patients, to a large extent.
Recent studies have proved that Angioplasty and bypass surgeries are very effective in treating Ischemic or coronary heart diseases, when compared to drugs.
A.K.Siva
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