Heart Disease What is heart disease? Heart Disease under its umbrella covers different types of medical conditions that include blood vessel disease such as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), arrhythmias, congenital heart defects among others. The term heart disease is also popularly known as “Cardiovascular Disease” that results narrowed or blocked blood vessels leading to heart attack, chest pain, or stroke. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is responsible for the numerous deaths worldwide with about one in six men and one in ten women dying from CHD every year. In the United States, heart disease has emerged as the number one killer and is the major cause of disability.
What are the symptoms of heart disease in men? The symptoms of heart disease in men depend upon the type of heart disease a patient is having. For instance in the case of atherosclerotic disease – which is caused by narrowed, blocked or stiffened blood vessels - the symptoms can include:
Shortness of breath Chest pain Pain that may occur in throat, upper abdomen, jaw, neck etc Numbness in legs, arms where the blood vessels in those areas have narrowed.
The heart disease symptoms in case of heart arrhythmias include
Slow heart beat Dizziness Fluttering of the chest Syncope or near fainting Tachycardia or racing heart beat
Serious congenital heart disease symptoms can become evident soon after the birth especially among children and the symptoms of this heart disease include Swelling in the legs, abdomen or around the areas of the eyes. The skin of the child may appear blue, pale gray Shortness of breath in case of infants and poor weight gain Heart disease symptoms caused by weak heart muscles also called dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a medical condition that results in the thickening and stiffening of heart muscles and the symptoms of this disease include Fatigue Breathlessness when at rest or due to exertion Dizziness, fainting and lightheadedness What are the causes of heart disease-? The causes of heart disease vary according to the type of heart disease. In case of heart arrhythmia the common causes include
High blood pressure Diabetes Smoking Stress Drug abuse Excessive use of alcohol or caffeine etc
Cardiomyopathy that results in the enlargement of heart muscle may be due to the following causes Reduced blood flow to the heart (ischemic heart disease) Certain infections Due to consuming certain drugs in the process of chemotherapy treatment for cancer Aging or high blood pressure
Why heart failure or heart attack occurs in men In majority of cases, the heart failure in men occurs due to coronary artery disease that is may be the result of blockage in heart’s blood supply interrupted by a built up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries. This process is known as atherosclerosis that is caused by lifestyle factors and other causes such as:
Smoking High Cholesterol due to dietary habits High blood pressure Diabetes Sedentary life style etc.
What are the preventative steps that can be taken to reduce or avoid heart disease? The risk of getting heart disease such as Coronary Heart Disease or CHD can be reduced by making some simple lifestyle changes and these include
Eating a healthy and balanced diet Quitting alcohol and smoking Controlling blood cholesterol and sugar levels Remaining physically active by doing or imbibing exercises, aerobics as a daily routine.