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Posts Tagged ‘Heart Disease’

A waxy soft fat particle that circulates in blood stream is known as cholesterol. As cholesterol is in soluble in blood it circulates in the blood stream with the help of lipoprotein. There are two types of lipoprotein. One is LDL i.e. Low Density Lipoprotein which is also known as bad cholesterol and the other is HDL i.e. High Density Lipoprotein is also known as good cholesterol.

Liver in our body produces cholesterol except that we also take cholesterol from outside through our diet. The cholesterol produced by our body is known as endogenous cholesterol and the cholesterol which we take through our diet is known as exogenous cholesterol. Within limits cholesterol is important for our body cells. Too much quantity of LDL is harmful for our bodies.

When Cholesterol level is high and there is too much LDL in the blood stream the cholesterol starts to accumulate along the interior wall of arteries. Plaque (a thick and hard deposit) is formed due to the deposit of cholesterol and other substances along the interior walls of arteries due to which arteries (including coronary artery) become narrow, walls of arteries loose their flexibility and also become hard.

A condition known as atherosclerosis is developed. As arteries (including coronary artery) become narrow so blood flow is reduced, sometimes blockage in arteries also occurs due to the deposits. Atherosclerosis can lead to heart attack and angina.

Cholesterol Level

Desirable level of HDL > 40 mg/dl
Desirable level of LDL < 100 mg/dl
Total cholesterol level should be < 200 mg/dl

If LDL level is > 160 mg/dl and HDL level is < 40 mg/dl then you are at high risk of having heart disease.

How to control Cholesterol?

By changing your life style and controlling your diet you can control your cholesterol level. If you take saturated fat in your diet then your blood cholesterol level will be higher. So try to avoid food containing saturated fat. Take low fat diets.

A. Diet
i) Avoid pork, beef, butter, creamy milk, burger, cheese, eggs etc.
ii) Take brown rice, curd made of skimmed milk, barley etc.
iii) Eat plenty of vegetables, salads and fruits. Eat apples, bananas, pears, blue berries, almonds, wall nuts, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, raw onion, etc.
iv) Take garlic daily.
v) Take whole grain cereal.
vi) Eat oat meals
vii) Use unsaturated oil.

B. Physical exercise is also necessary for you if you want to control your cholesterol.

Author: S.N.Bhattacharya

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure

What is blood pressure?

When the heart pumps blood through the arteries, then the pressure exerted on their walls is known as blood pressure.

High blood pressure or hypertension is the condition in which the pressure of blood on the walls of arteries is elevated.

Blood pressure of a person may go up when the person gets exited and the blood pressure of the same person comes down when he/she takes rest. Due to anxiety, fear, stress blood pressure is elevated.

When the arteries become narrower and harder due to deposit of cholesterol and other substances then the heart has to pump harder i.e. has to exert much pressure for sending blood through the arteries, in that case also blood pressure is elevated.

There are also many other factors which affect blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). Here the top number 120 mmHg indicates systolic pressure and the bottom number 80 mmHg indicates diastolic pressure.

During measurement of blood pressure at any instant the systolic blood pressure is the peak pressure of blood on the arteries and the diastolic blood pressure is the minimum pressure of blood exerted on the arteries.

Categories and range of blood pressure

                                             Systolic Pressure                                Diastolic Pressure

Normal blood pressure:   May vary from 90 to 119 mmHg                60 to 79 mmHg

High blood pressure:
 Stage I                                May vary from 140 to 159 mmHg              90 to 99 mmHg

Stage II  >=                         160 mm Hg                                             100 mmHg or higher

Hypertension or high blood pressure can have devastating effects on our heart, brain, kidneys and eye sight. Symptoms of high blood pressure are also not always clear.

If you have any one of the following symptoms like:-

i) Irregular heart beat
ii) Shortness of breath
iii) Pain in chest
iv) Blurred vision
v) Nose bleeding
vi) Confusion etc. then you may have high blood pressure and you need to consult a doctor immediately.

Causes of high blood pressure

Factors affecting blood pressure: -
i) Diabetes
ii) Tobacco Smoking
iii) Too much alcohol consumption
iv) Kidney disease
v) Obesity
vi) High fat diets
vii) Atherosclerosis
viii) Coarctation of Aorta
ix) Age

Persons who are in hypertension stage I category can reduce their blood pressure by changing sedentary life style, diets and giving up certain bad habits.

Due to physical activities, blood circulation in every parts of our body especially in brain improves which helps to reduce stress, depression, etc.

A person who is overweight can do light physical exercise. Walking or jogging is very good for weight reduction.

Smoking can damage artery walls. Too much alcohol consumption is also very harmful. Cholesterol causes blockage in artery and is responsible for increasing blood pressure so food containing less cholesterol should be taken. Fried foods and foods rich in saturated fat should be avoided.

Prevention

i) Reduce Sodium intake. Take less salt in food.
ii) Take low fat diet and fat free dairy foods.
iii) Avoid food containing saturated fat.
iv) Take food rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium. Eat vegetables and fruits.
v) Discontinue tobacco smoking
vi) Reduce alcohol consumption
vii) Take less sugar in your diet
viii) Reduce your weight if you are over weight.

Author: S.N.Bhattacharya

Heart is a vital and one of the most important organs of our body. People should know about the diseases of the heart and should take care of the heart. There are various types of heart diseases and are caused due to many reasons. 

1. Coronary Artery Disease
2. Congenital Heart Disease
3. Diseases of Valves of Heart
4. Cardiac Arrhythmia
5. Rheumatic Heart Disease
6. Carditis
7. Coarctation

1. Coronary Artery Disease:- 

(i) Angina Pectoris: – It is a type of coronary artery disease caused by narrowing of coronary arteries or clogging in them. Coronary artery supplies oxygen and nutrients to the heart. When inadequate blood reaches the heart due to any obstruction or clogging in coronary arteries then pain in chest or discomfort in heart is felt. 

Coronary artery become narrowed or clogged by deposits of cholesterol in inner layer of it. 

Cholesterol – It is a fat like substance and is produced mainly in liver. Within limit cholesterol is good but if somebody has too much cholesterol in the blood stream then excess cholesterol is deposited in the inner layer of arteries including coronary arteries. 

Cholesterol and fats travel in the blood stream in the form of Lipoproteins – mainly low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL cholesterol is regarded as bad cholesterol where as HDL cholesterol is good cholesterol. 

(ii) Myocardial Infraction (Heart Attack) – Heart attack is caused due to blockage of coronary artery and blockage of coronary artery occurs due the formation of blood clot. 

Atherosclerosis is considered as the most common cause of heart attack. In Atherosclerosis arteries become clogged due to plaques or fatty deposits (cholesterol) in their inner layer.

Angina and Heart attack are not the same. Though the nature of chest pain has got similarity in both the cases yet there is a lot of difference between them. In Angina, heart receives inadequate blood from narrowed artery and artery is not completely blocked but oxygen demand of heart muscle is not fulfilled.

In Angina the pain is not severe and does not last for more than ten minutes and attack of angina may occur due to

• Physical exertion like climbing up stairs, walking up hills, jogging
• Smoking.
• Taking heavy meal
• Excitement. 

Permanent damage to the heart muscle is done by a heart attack, In heart attack tissue of heart muscle dies as it does not get oxygen. If large area of tissue is affected then the attack may be fatal.  Continue reading “Various Types of Heart Diseases, causes and symptoms – 1” »