| Heart disease is the number one cause of death | | | | exam and electrocardiogram (EKG). In rare cases, |
| in the United States, and men are at automatic | | | | a doctor may do further testing, which may |
| greater risk for developing it simply because of | | | | include angiography, an invasive test involving |
| their gender. Men also start showing signs of | | | | injected dye and X-rays. Angina is treated with |
| heart disease at an earlier age than women do | | | | medications such as beta blockers, vasodilators, |
| and have more of the known, controllable heart | | | | calcium channel blockers and thiazides. Moderate |
| disease risk factors than women do. (Risk factors | | | | to severe angina pectoris may eventually require |
| such as heredity and family history cannot be | | | | surgery to restore normal blood flow. |
| controlled). The risk factors that can be controlled | | | | Heart attack symptoms include: |
| include: | | | | - Crushing pain that starts in the chest and then |
| - High blood pressure, which makes the heart | | | | radiates into the left arm, back or shoulder. |
| work harder, causing it to be exhausted and can | | | | - Cold and clammy sweating. |
| lead to heart failure. | | | | - Vomiting. |
| - Smoking. | | | | - Pain that lasts longer than fifteen minutes and/or |
| - High cholesterol levels, which causes fatty | | | | is not affected by nitroglycerin medications. |
| deposits and plaque to build up in artery walls. | | | | Healthy Diet and Heart Disease |
| - Sedentary lifestyle. Exercise controls the weight | | | | One of the easiest risk factors to control is |
| and may help to lower the blood pressure. | | | | weight. Simply by losing weight, you can: |
| Exercise also works to control the cholesterol. | | | | - Lower the blood pressure |
| - Diabetes. Over 80% of diabetics die from | | | | - Control blood sugar |
| disease of the blood vessels or the heart in some | | | | - Get better control of cholesterol |
| form. | | | | - Reduce the need for medications used to treat |
| - Obesity. Excess weight puts additional strain on | | | | these conditions |
| the heart and leads to high blood pressure and | | | | The more of these risk factors that you can |
| higher levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream. | | | | control, the lower your chance of developing |
| Excess weight that is carried in the middle of the | | | | heart disease and the lower your risk of having a |
| body, like around the waist, is especially | | | | heart attack or stroke in the first place. Losing |
| considered to be dangerous even if the rest of | | | | weight can be as simple as a few changes in the |
| the body is relatively thin. | | | | diet, including a slight reduction in the amount of |
| - Stress. Constant, chronic stress raises the blood | | | | fat. The typical diet gets 20-30% of its overall |
| pressure, and also raises the chance of other | | | | calories from fat, while lowering that amount |
| risky behaviors such as smoking or overeating. | | | | down to 15-20% instead provides enough fat |
| Deaths caused by cardiovascular disease fell 40% | | | | calories without being extreme. Increasing protein |
| and stroke deaths fell 35% between the years of | | | | intake slightly allows for better feelings of satiety |
| 2000 and 2010, but risk factors for these | | | | without deprivation, which is one of the reasons |
| diseases did not fall as dramatically in that same | | | | that "diets" may fail. The American Heart |
| period. Smoking fell only 16%, obesity fell by only | | | | Association recommends that the diet not have |
| 2.5%. Childhood obesity has increased dramatically | | | | more than 35% protein, however. |
| and could change those statistics negatively once | | | | Timothy is 35, a non-smoker and former athlete |
| these kids reach middle age. It is a sad fact that | | | | (he played goalie on his high school hockey team |
| the term "adult onset" diabetes needs to be | | | | and until recently played on several leagues, often |
| changed because it is no longer only seen in those | | | | as many times as five times a week.) He is |
| who are in their thirties and forties. Children as | | | | suffering from depression, which leaves him |
| young as ten and eleven are being diagnosed with | | | | making poor choices for his food and he does not |
| Type II diabetes simply because they are obese! | | | | sleep enough. His father died from a massive |
| Heart disease comprises a number of various | | | | heart attack when he was only 21, and his |
| conditions. Arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the | | | | mother, a lifelong heavy smoker, has been |
| arteries - a number of minerals and fatty deposits | | | | recently diagnosed with diabetes. A visit to the |
| collect and make the walls of the artery become | | | | doctor reveals that Tim is now more than 40 |
| rigid and hard. Atheriosclerosis is the most | | | | pounds overweight, borderline diabetic himself and |
| common condition and is caused by plaque - a | | | | suffering from high blood pressure and high |
| buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances. | | | | cholesterol. He is prescribed Metoprolol, a high |
| The more plaque that accumulates, the narrower | | | | blood pressure medication, as well as a cholesterol |
| the arteries become, which reduces the amount | | | | medication and is given strict orders to lose at |
| of blood that can make it to and from the heart. | | | | least half of his excess weight and to have |
| The heart must work harder to pump to maintain | | | | repeat labs in six months. At this time, if he has |
| blood flow or, worse, may not be able to get | | | | made no improvement, the doctor fears that he |
| blood to certain areas of the body at all. There | | | | will be adding diabetes medications as well. |
| are no real symptoms of atheriosclerosis beyond | | | | Tim, who has been unemployed for over a year, |
| angina pectoris. | | | | finally lands a job, a more physically demanding |
| Angina affects nearly three million American men | | | | job than he has ever had in the past. In addition, |
| and is a painful condition caused by an oxygen | | | | he returns to the goal in a city league, playing |
| deficiency in the heart in turn caused by the | | | | hockey twice a week and doing several stretching |
| narrowing of the arteries related to | | | | exercises every day so that he can be limber |
| artheriosclerosis. Angina is one of the first and | | | | enough to give it his all. He will be the first to |
| possibly the only warning sign of impending heart | | | | admit that his first week ended with |
| disease and should be heeded. The symptoms of | | | | muscle-ripping pain, but as he gets back in the |
| angina pectoris include: | | | | groove of things, he is feeling better. |
| - A heavy, strangling or suffocating pain. | | | | He does not have the time to sit around eating |
| - The location of the pain is under the breastbone | | | | junk food now, making healthier choices for foods |
| on the left side of the chest. | | | | that he can eat during his very busy day. One of |
| - Pain may radiate to the other parts to the | | | | his changes has been to add a protein supplement |
| body, including the throat, neck, jaw, left shoulder | | | | twice a day, using the 50 gram size to save |
| and left arm. | | | | himself a little money while still getting the perfect |
| - Pain may reach the right side of the body. | | | | amount of protein in a variety of flavors. Thanks |
| - Pain from angina may be more common at | | | | to his new movement and renewed zeal for life, |
| night. | | | | plus the fact that he no longer feels compelled to |
| - Angina may be caused by a heavy meal, stress, | | | | get burgers and fries from the drive thru |
| emotional excitement, cold weather and physical | | | | windows, he has shed about twenty pounds and |
| exertion. | | | | added another ten pounds of sheer muscle - his |
| - Angina episodes may last between five and 30 | | | | doctor is thrilled. |
| minutes. If pain is lasting longer, it may be a heart | | | | Tim is no longer borderline diabetic, his blood |
| attack. | | | | pressure is normal and his cholesterol is greatly |
| Angina is definitively diagnosed by both physical | | | | improved. |