Daily Health Tips: Trusted Medical Information, Health Tips and Advices

Risk refers to the odds that something will occur, but there are no guarantees. Having one or more risk factors does not mean heart disease is inevitable. Similarly, absence of risk factors does not guarantee you will not have heart disease. Monitoring and modifying certain risk factors is the best way to prevent coronary heart disease. If possible, adopt a healthy lifestyle early in life. Because risk factors are interrelated, many are present together in the same person. Thus, moderate changes in one area of your life often reduce other risk factors at the same time. You can't change some risk factors. Age: Men older than 45 years and women older than 55 years are at increased risk for coronary heart disease. Family history: If someone in your immediate family has had coronary heart disease, angina, or heart attack by age 55 years, your risk of developing heart disease is increased. If heart disease runs in the family, seek medical attention...

While people cannot control their family history and genetics, they can minimize risk factors for heart disease by: quitting smoking; controlling high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes; exercise regularly, and take a baby aspirin a day. These are all lifelong challenges to prevent heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Even with the best of preventive care, heart attacks happen. Develop an emergency plan so that if chest pain occurs make certain you, your family, and friends know how to activate the Emergency Medical Services in your area

Medications that may be recommended on discharge from the hospital include: aspirin for its anti-platelet effect, a beta blocker to blunt the effect of adrenaline on the heart and make it beat more efficiently, a statin drug to control cholesterol and clopidogrel (Plavix) or prasugrel (Effient), other anti-platelet drugs. Since the heart may have been damaged, further testing may be needed to assess its pumping capabilities. Echocardiography can measure ejection fraction, the amount of blood that heart pumps out to the body compared to how much it receives. A normal ejection fraction should be greater than 50% to 60%. A monitored exercise program may be arranged. Attempts will be made to minimize cardiac risk factors including: smoking cessation, weight loss, control blood pressure, and lower "bad" cholesterol. Some patients will require coronary artery bypass surgery if their angiogram shows multiple areas of blockage. Special Sit...

The first step to take when chest pain occurs is to call 911 and activate the Emergency Medical System. First responders, EMTs, and paramedics can begin treating a heart attack en-route to the hospital, alert the Emergency Department that the patient is on the way, and treat some of the complications of a heart attack should they occur. Step two is to take an aspirin. Aspirin makes platelets less sticky and can minimize blood clot formation and prevent further blockage of the artery. Step three is to rest. When the body does work, the heart has to pump blood to supply oxygen to the muscles and clear the waste products of metabolism. When heart function is limited because it doesn't have an adequate blood supply itself, asking it to do more work may cause more damage and risk further complications.

Hospitals have established treatment plans to minimize the time to diagnose and treat people with heart attack. National guidelines suggest that an electrocardiogram (EKG) be done within 10 minutes of the patient's arrival in the ER. Many things will occur at the same time as the EKG being completed. The doctor will take a history and complete a physical exam while the nurses start an intravenous line (IV), place heart monitor lines on the chest, and administer oxygen. Medications are used to try to restore blood supply to the heart muscle. If it wasn't taken prior to arrival in the ER, aspirin will be used for its anti-platelet action. Nitroglycerin will be used to dilate blood vessels. Heparin or enoxaparin (Lovenox) will be used to thin the blood. Morphine can also be used for pain control. Antiplatelet medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix) or prasugrel (Effient) are also recommended. There are two options (depending on the resources at the hospit...

Diagnosis and treatment tend to occur at the same time in patients who are experiencing chest pain. If there is concern that heart muscle is at risk, delays need to be minimized so that blood supply to that muscle can be restored. Medical History The diagnosis of angina is made by history of the patient. If the story that the patient tells is suggestive of cardiac ischemia (cardiac= heart + ischemia= decreased blood supply), then the health care practitioner will continue on the path to determine whether a heart attack has occurred. Important questions include: When did the pain start? What were you doing? Did you have to stop? Did the pain get better with rest? Did the pain come back with activity? Did the pain stay in your chest or did it move somewhere else, like the jaw, teeth, arm or back? Did you get short of breath? Did you become nauseous? Were you sweating profusely? The medical history also includes assessing risk factors for hear...

Chest pain is almost always considered an emergency. Aside from heart attacks, pulmonary embolus (blood clot in the lung) and aortic dissection or tear can be fatal causes of chest pain. Classic pain from a heart attack is described as chest pressure or tightness with radiation of the pain to the jaw and down the arm, accompanied by shortness of breath or sweating. But it is important to remember that heart problems may not always present as pain or with the classic symptoms. Indigestion, nausea, profound weakness, profuse sweating, or shortness of breath may be the main symptom of a heart attack.   First responders, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics can begin testing and treatment even before you arrive at the hospital. Remember to take an aspirin immediately if you are concerned that you are having a heart attack. Doctors and nurses in Emergency Departments take an individual experiencing chest pain very seriously. You are not wasting anyb...

Classic symptoms of a heart attack may include: chest pain associated with shortness of breath, profuse sweating, and nausea. The chest pain may be described as tightness, fullness, a pressure, or an ache. Unfortunately, many people do not have these classic signs. Other signs and symptoms of heart attack may include: indigestion, jaw ache, pain only in the shoulders or arms, shortness of breath, or nausea and vomiting. This list is not complete, since many times people can experience a heart attack with minimal symptoms. In women and the elderly, heart attack symptoms can be atypical and sometimes so vague they are easily missed. The only complaint may be extreme weakness or fatigue. Pain may also radiate from the chest to the neck, jaw, shoulder, or back and be associated with shortness of breath, nausea, and sweating.

Heart attack is most often caused by narrowing of the arteries by cholesterol plaque and their subsequent rupture. This is known as atherosclerotic heart disease (AHSD) or coronary artery disease (CAD). The risk factors for ASHD are the same as those for stroke (cerebrovascular disease) or peripheral vascular disease. These risk factors include: a family history or heredity, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. While heredity is beyond a person's control, all the other risk factors can be minimized to try to prevent coronary artery disease from developing. If atherosclerosis (atheroma=fatty plaque + sclerosis=hardening) is already present, minimizing these risk factors can decrease further narrowing. Non-coronary artery disease causes of heart attack may also occur. Examples include: Cocaine use. This drug can cause the coronary arteries to go into enough spasm to cause a heart attack. Because of the irrit...

Over time, plaque can build up along the course of an artery and narrow the channel through which blood flows. Plaque is made up of cholesterol buildup and eventually may calcify or harden, with calcium deposits. If the artery becomes too narrow, it cannot supply enough blood to the heart muscle when it becomes stressed. Just like arm muscles that begin to ache or hurt when heavy things are lifted, or legs that ache when you run too fast; the heart muscle will ache if it doesn't get adequate blood supply. This ache or pain is called angina. It is important to know that angina can manifest in many different ways and does not always need to be experienced as chest pain. If the plaque ruptures, a small blood clot can form within the blood vessel, acting like a dam and acutely blocking the blood flow beyond the clot. When that part of the heart loses its blood supply completely, the muscle dies. This is called a heart attack, or an MI - a myocardial infarction (my...

The heart is a muscle like any other in the body. Arteries supply it with oxygen-rich blood so that it can contract and push blood to the rest of the body. When there isn't enough oxygen flow to a muscle, its function begins to suffer. Block the oxygen supply completely, and the muscle starts to die. Heart muscle gets its blood supply from arteries that originate in the aorta just as it leaves the heart. The coronary arteries run along the surface of the heart and supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. The right coronary artery supplies the right ventricle of the heart and the inferior (lower) portion of the left ventricle. The left anterior descending coronary artery supplies the majority of the left ventricle, while the circumflex artery supplies the back of the left ventricle. The ventricles are the lower chambers of the heart; the right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs and left pumps it to the rest of the body.

Follow-up Regular follow-up visits with your health care provider are essential. Coronary heart disease is a chronic (long-term, ongoing), relentlessly progressive disease. Reducing risk factors may only slow its pace. Even angioplasty or bypass surgery only reduces the severity of the disease. It doesnot cure the disease. It often comes back and gets worse, requiring further treatment for people with previous heart attacks or bypass, especially if the patient has not correctedthe abnormal risk factors. Your health care provider will usually monitor you for the following conditions: New symptoms or signs of disease progression (periodic physical exams and ECGs or stress tests) Silent ischemia (periodic treadmill or radionuclide stress tests or stress echocardiography) Your health care provider will also monitor your progress in risk reduction and how well treatment is working. Keep track of your own numbers. This is your life. Checking weight and activi...

Medical Treatment Coronary artery disease decreases blood supply to the heart from the blocked coronary artery. The lower blood flow may fail to meet the heart's demand for oxygen. Treatment aims to balance blood supply to the heart with heart oxygen demand, and prevent worsening of coronary heart disease. Aspirin: When taken daily or every other day, aspirin reduces the risk of developing angina or heart attack by reducing the tendency of your blood to clot. It reduces the chance that a clot will form over a rupturing plaque in the coronary artery, a common underlying phenomenon in heart attack (myocardial infarction). Side effects of aspirin include ulcers or bleeding problems. Talk to your health care provider before starting aspirin. Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, thus reducing your heart's demand for oxygen. Clinical trials have shown prevention of future heart attacks and sudden death. Nitroglycerin:...

If you have coronary heart disease, following the recommendations of your health care provider is very important if you wish to improve your condition or prevent it from getting worse. If you notice any change in your condition, you may need further diagnosis or treatment. The most important ways to reduce the risk of heart disease are in your control, not the control of your health care provider. Lifestyle changes are the most powerful way to prevent heart disease from getting worse or of reducing the risk of getting heart disease in the first place. The phenomenal drop in the heart disease death rate over the past 30 years has been due more to reducing risk factors than to advances in treatment. Everyone should take the following measures to lower the risk of heart disease: Eat a heart-healthy diet: This is the most important step you can take in lowering your risk. Lower your fat intake: Calories from fat should be less than 30% of your total calorie ...

Your first symptom of coronary heart disease may be a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. This is why medical professionals use screening tests to detect the presence and severity of coronary disease before it causes problems or sends you to an emergency department with severe symptoms. The symptoms of coronary heart disease are what medical professionals call nonspecific. This means the symptoms could be caused by many different conditions, some not related to the heart at all. Upon hearing your symptoms, your health care provider (whether your primary care provider or a new provider in the emergency department) will begin a process of gathering information. The purpose of this is to rule out conditions and pinpoint the correct diagnosis. It includes asking questions about your symptoms, your medical and surgical history, your general health and specific medical problems, and the medications you take. It will also include a physical examination, ...

Call your health care provider if you notice any of the following symptoms, which suggest angina: Chest pain, pressure or feeling of indigestion after physical exertion, which may or may not be relieved by rest Shoulder or arm pain involving left, right, or both sides during physical or mentally stressful activity Jaw pain, unexplained by another cause, like a sore tooth Shortness of breath after exertion or walking uphill Fainting spell Pain in the upper part of your abdomen Unexplained nausea, vomiting, or sweating Palpitations or dizziness Call 911 or have someone take you immediately to a hospital emergency department if you have signs of a heart attack. The most crucial factor is time. Each year, thousands of Americans die because they do not seek medical attention quickly. Err on the side of caution and go to the hospital. This may prove to be the difference between life and death. The most common symptoms of heart attack include...

The most devastating sign of coronary heart disease is abrupt, unexpected cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest commonly occurs in people who have had previous heart attacks, but it may occur as the first symptom of heart disease. Most people exhibit some symptom or discomfort. Symptoms usually occur during exercise or activity because the heart muscle's increased demand for nutrients and oxygen is not being met by the blockedcoronary blood vessel. More common symptoms of coronary heart disease include the following. No one person usually has all of these symptoms. Chest pain on exertion (angina pectoris), which may be relieved by rest Shortness of breath on exertion Jaw pain, back pain, or arm pain, especially on left side, either during exertion or at rest Palpitations (a sensation of rapid or very strong heart beats in your chest) Dizziness, light-headedness, or fainting Weakness on exertion or at rest Irregular heartbeat Silent ischem...

Coronary heart disease is caused by any problem with the coronary arteries that keeps the heart from getting enough oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood. The most common cause by faris atherosclerosis. Lack of sufficient blood is called ischemia, so coronary heart disease is sometimes called ischemic heart disease. The cause of coronary heart disease is related tomultiple risk factors. The following are the most common: Heredity: Coronary heart disease runs in the family. High cholesterol: Levels of cholesterol in the blood are above healthy levels. This usually involves high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol. Tobacco abuse: This includes not only smoking any form of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes), but also chewing tobacco. Obesity High blood pressure (hypertension) Diabetes Lack of regular exercise High-fat diet Emotional stress Type A personal...

Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease, affects about 14 million men and women in the United States. Disease develops when a combination of fatty material, calcium, and scar tissue (plaque) builds up in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. Through these arteries, called the coronary arteries, the heart muscle (myocardium) gets the oxygen and other nutrients it needs topump blood. The plaque often narrows the artery so that the heart does not get enough blood. This slowing of blood flow causes chest pain, or angina. If plaque completely blocks blood flow, it may cause a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or a fatal rhythm disturbance (sudden cardiac arrest). A major cause of death and disability, coronary heart disease claims more lives in the United States than the next 7 leading causes of death combined. The heart consists of 4 chambers: an atrium and a ventricle on the right, and an atrium and ventricle on the ...