Introduction
Heart disease is becoming a dreadful health issue in recent times. As soon as people adopt healthy food habits & lifestyle modifications, they can prevent life-threatening issues due to critical heart dysfunction. In America, CDC(Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) has represented a terrifying fact about the statistics of heart patients. They claim one person in every four deaths is a heart patient.
Therefore, people should be familiar with each critical perspective of heart disease. The following discussions list all the crucial factors related to heart disorders & the prevention methods.
What Is Heart Disease?
From a general perspective, a group of critical conditions that hinder the natural function of the heart are called together heart disease. Most people have zero information about the relevant symptoms, hinting at critical heart disorders. Therefore, the collective issues responsible for heart dysfunction can be major factors at the end of life. Or each condition can individually decile the regular functions by heart.
Types of Heart Diseases:
Coronary Artery Disease: Common Factor Behind Heart Disease
The most familiar factor behind heart complications worldwide is Coronary Artery Disease. The condition of Coronary Artery Disease introduces specific hindrances in the pathway of blood supply to your heart. Plaque, accumulated in the inner wall of arteries, is highly responsible for causing insufficient blood supply to your heart. Long-term plaque accumulation on the artery-wall surface turns the arteries into narrow pathways of blood supply to the heart. This specific condition is termed - Atherosclerosis.
Plaque buildup is one of the common & critical factors behind heart complications. Based on different factors, Coronary Artery Disease is categorized into three parts:
Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease:
The well-established & most common factor behind Coronary Artery Disease is plaque accumulation on the surface of the artery wall. Atherosclerosis is a factor that causes severe obstruction on the pathway of regular blood flow to your heart. So, medical practitioners have termed the decline of blood supply to the heart by Atherosclerosis as Obstructive Coronary Artery disease.
Obstructive coronary Artery Disease is responsible for sudden heart attacks, which can end life immediately or worsen overall health. Therefore, Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease requires instant medical attention to ensure effective treatment against severe heart damage.
Non-Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease:
Non-obstructive artery disease is related to different complications in various internal portions of your heart. Plaque buildup is not responsible for these specific heart problems. Instead of the narrowness of coronary arteries, such factors lead to Non-obstructive Coronary Artery disease:
Myocardial Bridging:Myocardial bridging causes squeezing or compression in heart muscles. In general condition, coronary arteries lie around & inside heart muscles. The common role of coronary arteries is feeding blood to the smaller vessels, which supply blood to the heart muscles.
But, while coronary arteries excavate inside the heart muscles, the whole condition leads to congenital disabilities in the heart. In Myocardial Bridging, coronary arteries overlap the heart muscles, which is far different from its normal condition - in which coronary arteries lie on the muscle's surface. Though medical science declares myocardial bridging as a benign heart prognosis, it is also reported as one of the fatal causes of sudden death in research.
Few people can experience acute chest pain or angina due to myocardial bridging. Recent studies have claimed dangerous complications of Myocardial Bridging, such as acute coronary syndrome, ischemia, coronary spasm, ventricular septal rupture & so much more.
Coronary Vasospasm:
Coronary Vasospasm is such a condition of the heart that blood supplier vessels tighten quickly. Contraction in coronary arteries hinders blood flow toward the heart. In most cases, patients feel chest pain due to the sudden tightening of blood vessels late at night or early morning.
Therefore, patients should consult cardiologists as they can recommend the best solutions to prevent spasms. Otherwise, Coronary Artery Spasms can trigger the risks of heart attack or other complications in heart functions.
Endothelial Dysfunction
Endothelial dysfunction is one of the major versions of Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease. There are no blockages behind this kind of CAD. Due to a lack of Nitric Oxide, endothelial dysfunction leads to constriction in blood vessels, which is always required to dilate to keep heart function normal. Thus, endothelial dysfunction causes arterial constriction, which triggers chronic chest pain.
Microvascular Dysfunction
Coronary microvascular dysfunction is such a disrupted mechanism that affects the entire microvasculature. Due to microvascular dysfunction, tiny & sensitive networks of blood vessels are damaged and fail to regulate the rhythmic blood flow & capillary exchange in the heart. The interrupted mechanisms of capillary exchange hinder the connection between blood vessels & adjacent tissues, which are engaged in sending o2-rich blood & receiving low-oxygen blood. As a result, patients experience chronic chest pain, shortness of breath & fatigue.
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection:
SCAD(Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) is an emergency condition when sprint develops inside the epicardial coronary artery, leading to decreased blood flow or hindered blood flow to the heart. SCAD is a major reason behind irregular heart rhythm issues, heart attacks and sudden heart failure.
Arrhythmia
Heart muscles act according to their specific electrical system. The electrical impulses of heart muscles establish the connection between the upper chamber & lower chamber of the heart. So, electrical impulses are directly responsible for heart contraction. The quick contraction is called, and the extremely slow contraction is called Bradycardia. Both Tachycardia & Bradycardia are irregular versions of heart contractions. And the irregular version of heart contraction is called Arrhythmia.
If Arrhythmia symptoms are ignored, it leads to life-threatening heart failure, brain damage and cardiac arrest.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a critical condition that affects the ability to function regularly by the myocardium or heart muscles. Having Myocardiography, patients face the complications of stiffened, thickened and enlarged hearts. The impact of Cardiomyopathy is heart fails to pump blood regularly to maintain healthy blood circulation throughout the body.
Cardiomyopathy can weaken the heart so severely that patients need a heart transplant.
Cardiomyopathy conditions fall into four major categories:
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
While due to underlying factors, heart muscles dilated, and the entire condition is termed an 'Enlarged Heart.' The enlarged heart becomes too weak to circulate blood throughout the body efficiently. In different cases, due to inheritance or as a consequence of Coronary artery Disease Cardiomyopathy is triggered. Doctors claim Dilated Cardiomyopathy is one of the most familiar Cardiomyopathies worldwide.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Research says Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is occurred due to genetic defects. The underlying genetic factors make the inner heart surface thickened and create hindrances in the blood flow pathway. This condition is highly responsible for stiffening the heart and affects the electrical system, which correlates with regular heart functions.
Moreover, long-term diabetes, high range of blood pressure, and aging can also trigger Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
ARVD(Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia)
ARDV is one of the unfamiliar types of Cardiomyopathy, which can be the fatal cause of sudden death. In the ARDV condition, factors such as genetic defects, extended fibrous tissue & fat replace the heart muscle on the right ventricle. And the entire condition leads to abnormal heart rhythms. Consequently, the dysfunction of the right ventricle in the heart causes abnormalities in regular heart functions.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Different factors behind heart disease, cardiac amyloid, and heart tissue scarring gradually stiffen the heart's ventricles. As a result, the ventricles fail to relax normally and can not pull blood flow. This kind of heart dysfunction is termed Restrictive Cardiomyopathy.
All these are major types of Cardiomyopathy. But some types of Cardiomyopathy is occurred due to specific health conditions. The following points describe the minor types of Cardiomyopathy:
Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
While women undergo complications of Dilated Cardiomyopathy within their final month of delivery, this is termed - Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. And if the new mothers undergo complications of Dilated Cardiomyopathy after their delivery, it is termed Postpartum Cardiomyopathy.
Both phases of Cardiomyopathy are considered life-threatening heart diseases, triggering other risk factors during or after delivery in women.
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
Due to excess consumption of alcohol regularly, your heart can trigger the complications of Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy. In the critical condition of Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy, the heart becomes dilated & too weak to pump the necessary amount of blood regularly.
Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
While Coronary Artery Disease turns the blood vessels constricted, they fail to receive essential oxygen from heart muscles. As a result, heart dysfunction leads to heart failure.
Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy
Noncompaction is a rare disease triggered in the children in their mother's womb. Suppose the children grow in the mother's womb along with abnormal heart muscle structure. In that case, they have to suffer from Nocompaction Cardiomyopathy, The complications of Nocompaction Cardiomyopathy can be triggered at any age in life.
Symptoms of Heart Disease:
Major Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease:
Angina:
While due to arterial dysfunction, regular blood supply decreases to your heart, and patients have to go through acute discomfort or pain in the chest, neck, arm, stomach & jaw. The constricted arteries cause restriction in blood flow. This kind of clogged arteries-driven condition is termed Atheroma.
Angina is a major symptom of CAD(Coronary Artery Disease), which hints that your heart can not receive sufficient oxygen. At the same time, you become engaged in strenuous duties or go through stress.
Therefore, having angina, you need to follow medical advice based on health assessment.
Heart Attack:
Regular rhythmic blood circulation is essential for survival. While the underlying factors, such as fatty substance accumulation, leads to blood clot formation in coronary arteries or heart muscles, blood supply is interrupted to the heart. As a consequence, Myocardial infarction occurs in the heart. A severe Myocardial infarction is termed a 'Heart Attack,' a symptom of Acute Coronary syndrome.
High Blood Pressure:
Hypertension or high blood pressure is another symptom of serious Coronary Heart Disease. In general, underlying factors such as bad diet, overweight issues, and excess alcohol consumption are responsible for defining the line between normal and heightened blood pressure. Doctors recommend a normal blood pressure rate - of 120/80 mmHG.
Major Symptoms of Cardiomyopathy
- Fatigue
- Heart Palpitations
- Chest Pain
- Dyspnea(Shortness of Breath)
- Syncope(Fainting)
- During exercise, breath shortness
Serious Symptoms of Arrhythmia
- Alternation of fast & slow heartbeat.
- Anxiety-driven Shortness of Breath
- Pressure on Chest & Pain
- Discomfort in upper body portion - stomach, Back, arm, neck.
- Cold Sweat & Lightheadedness
What Are The Warning Signs of Heart Disease?
- Acute Chest pain.
- Chronic Coughing.
- Uneven Heartbeat or Palpitations
- High Cholesterol Level
- Chest Tightness
Causes of Heart Disease:
Smoking: A Crucial Factor Behind Coronary Artery Dysfunction
As a regular smoker, you inhale cigarette or tobacco products' chemicals directly contributing to plaque buildup. So, smoking is highly responsible for reducing blood flow in coronary arteries. Thus, smoking can trigger many heart complications, such as fluctuations in heart rate, irregular heartbeats, tightening of major coronary arteries, and so much more. And finally, artery dysfunction leads to life-threatening heart diseases.
High Cholesterol: A Major Cause Behind Coronary Artery Disease
Cholesterol is a version of low-density Lipoprotein, which behave like a large vehicle in the highway-like coronary arteries. The long-term presence of high cholesterol in the bloodstream leads to plaque deposits on the walls of coronary arteries. And clogged arteries decline the regular blood flow to the heart muscles.
As a result, blockage in Coronary Arteries leads to heart dysfunction or heart failure.
High Diabetes Mellitus: A Major Factor Behind Coronary Artery Damage
People having high diabetes mellitus often accumulate too much sugar in their blood, then the liver starts to produce low-density Lipoprotein and reduce the amount of high-density Lipoprotein. As a result, a higher level of low-density Lipoprotein causes inflammation and plaque deposits in arteries.
On the other hand, in diabetic people, high level of glucose in the bloodstream disrupts the regular cycles of functions of blood vessels & nerves. As a result, the co-ordinations between blood vessels & nerves are damaged during blood circulation through arteries. And dysfunction in Coronary Artery affects the regular oxygen-rich blood supply to the heart. Thus, high diabetes Mellitus is highly responsible for heart disease.
Chronic Kidney Disease: A Dangerous Factor Behind Coronary Artery Dysfunction
Chronic issues in the kidney decline the regular function of the renal system. As a result, the decline of essential renal functions triggers the accumulation of Uremic Toxins. This condition is termed Dyslipidemia, which boosts free radical production and activates the pro-inflammatory cycles & Fibrogenic cycles. All these factors contribute to Vascular Endothelial Cell Dysfunction.
Thus, while the chronic decline in renal mechanism triggers vascular endothelial cell dysfunction, the endothelium can not maintain the basic level of Nitric Oxide. Due to endothelial complications, a low amount of NO triggers vasoconstriction in veins. As a result, inotropic & chronotropic actions are interrupted, and the blood circulation in arteries is declined.
So, CKD is highly responsible for severe heart complications.
Obesity: A Common Factor Behind Coronary Artery Dysfunction
Obesity interrupts the healthy body mechanism. As a result, excess saturated fatty acids are accumulated in the body. While the body triggers its mechanism to circulate saturated fatty acids, it raises oxidative stress, which is crucial in leading to Vascular Endothelial Cell Dysfunction. And Vascular Endothelial Cell Dysfunction causes low levels of Nitric Oxide, which triggers the vasoconstriction mechanism. And the entire event causes a decline of sufficient blood circulation into the Coronary arteries.
On the other hand, when obesity-induced interrupted body mechanism accumulates saturated fat in the body, it heightens the bad cholesterol level, which causes inflammation in arteries & clogged arteries.
Thus, obesity is always a common contributor to Coronary Artery Dysfunction.
Unhealthy Diet: A Major Factor Behind Coronary Artery Damage
People who regularly intake processed food, oily snacks & sweetened food often experience acute Coronary Artery Damage symptoms. All these unhealthy diets contribute to the accumulation of trans fats, saturated fats and high glucose in your body.
Both trans fats & saturated fats directly play crucial roles in Vascular Endothelium Cell Dysfunction and Atherosclerosis. These events are highly responsible for clogging arteries.
Besides, sweetened food items always enhance the risk factors of obesity & high diabetes mellitus. Both of these diseases are highly responsible for interrupted functions of Coronary Arteries.
Therefore, unhealthy diet or food habits contribute to heart disease directly.
Sedentary Lifestyle: A Crucial Factor Behind Coronary Artery Disease
Lack of regular exercise or physical inactivity is considered one of the major causes of Coronary Heart Disease.
A sedentary lifestyle generally increases the amount of fatty acids in the blood vessels. It directly affects the vascular endothelial cell functions, which define the health of Coronary arteries. So, too much sitting daily causes heart disease.
Due to physical inactivity, the body's ability to sufficient lipoprotein production decreases. Insufficient Lipoprotein can not break down fat content efficiently. While the body faces difficulties utilizing fat, it starts storing it. Thus, the risk factors of obesity increase and causes Endothelial Dysfunction and Atherosclerosis. Both are considered as the major threat to the heart.
What Causes Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection?
- Genetic Factors
- Disorders of Connective Tissues
- Hormonal Changes
- Excess Intake of Cocaine
- Multiple Pregnancies
- Systemic Inflammations
All these factors are responsible for Spontaneous Coronary Dissection.
Diagnosis of Heart Disease:
Healthcare professionals check the individual & family medical records as they can recommend the appropriate tests to detect heart disease with accuracy. The following tests confirm different types of heart disease:
Electrocardiogram:
As a painless test, ECG is a proven test that monitors & records the electrical signals of the heart. It can measure the too-fast or too-slow heartbeat. The experts use temporary compact & tiny plastic patches(Electrodes), which stick on the patient's skin and evaluate the motion of heartbeats and represent the heartbeats in the form of waves on the computer monitor.
Echocardiogram
The noninvasive scanning process - Echocardiogram, records the motions of the heart. This ultrasound-driven scan uses high-frequency-based sound waves to generate echos when the ultrasound waves bounce in different parts of the heart. This is a technology-driven scan that sensors the accurate heart rhythm and represents how blood flows via valves & throughout the heart.
Holter Monitoring
Holter Monitoring is a proven test executed with a portable ECG device. Heart patients must wear the device for a whole day, as the device can capture and monitor the heart's functions during regular activities. This portable ECG device can detect abnormal heartbeats in different circumstances, which can not be captured in regular or traditional ECG tests.
Exercise Tests or Stress Tests
This kind of monitoring method is used when heart patients walk on the treadmill or ride their bikes. Exercise tests play vital roles in exploring how the heart carry on its regular functions during different physical activity. Thus, through the reports based on Excercise Tests, doctors can easily identify which activity can trigger specific heart-related complications.
Cardiac Catheterization
Experts use a thin, lengthy & flexible tube(Catheter) to detect mild or severe blockages in a patient's heart. The catheter is inserted through the wrist or groin and directed to the arteries & blood vessels. With dye, the catheter represents the accurate X-ray reports, which explain the measurements of blockages in the heart.
Cardiac CT Scan
In hospital diagnostic departments, experts direct the heart patients to enter through a doughnut-shaped device and lie on the table inside the device. Then, the automated technology-driven X-ray tube inside the device starts to rotate around the patient's body to collect accurate images of the patient's heart & chest.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Scan
MRI technology is an innovative scanning method to detect mild to severe dysfunction in the heart. MRI technology uses a potent combination of magnetic field & computer-driven radio waves to capture the exact condition of the heart.
Treatment of Heart Disease:
Doctors recommend both medicines & lifestyle changes to reduce the symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease. Though medicine & lifestyle modifications help to control damage in the heart, in some cases, doctors recommend surgeries to repair the specific dysfunction in the heart.
How do Medicines Treat Heart Disease?
Blood-thinning Medicines
Blood thinners are a specific version of medicine used to decline the risk factors of a heart attack. These medicines play essential roles in blood thinning and prevent clotting in arteries.
Doctors recommend the following blood thinners for heart patients according to their severity of conditions:
- Low-dose Aspirin
- Ticagrelor
- Clopidogrel
- Rivaroxaban
- Prasugrel
Statins
Statins play essential roles in preventing the production of LDL(Low-density-lipoprotein) production in the liver. This kind of drug is used to remove the cholesterol from the body. Individuals who have high Cholesterol levels are prescribed to intake the following Statins:
- Atorvastatin
- Simvastatin
- Rosuvastatin
- Pravastatin
Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers are prescribed to prevent the excess release of stress hormones - Adrenaline & Noradrenaline. At the same time, the heart-patient intake of beta blockers can relieve stress-hormone-induced heart complications such as - Angina, Heart rhythm disorders, and high blood pressure.
Nitrates
Doctors prescribe Nitrates to dilate the blood vessels. Nitrate medicine is available in different forms, such as - tablets, skin patches & sprays. Nitrates reduce blood pressure levels by relaxing the blood vessels as blood can pass easily to the destination. Thus, Nitrates help to bypass chest pain.
FAQ
How Does High Cholesterol Trigger Blockage in Artery?
When the bloodstream travels through arteries with high cholesterol levels for a long time, the cholesterol is lodged on the artery walls. The body executes a preventive mechanism to exit cholesterol by sending white blood cells. The white blood cells trap the low-density Lipoprotein and create foamy cells filled with more fatty substances. As a result, the semi-solid cells lead to chronic inflammation and clog the arteries. Thus, high cholesterol level is the culprit behind arterial blockage.
What Test Is Recommended To Detect Blocked Arteries?
CT Coronary Angiogram is an intensive diagnosis method that explores if there is any blockage in arteries. Tis test also reveals the real image of plaque deposition, the major culprit behind artery blockage. During the test, the experts inject contrast dye into the arm as arteries become visible. CT Coronary Angiogram takes almost 30 minutes to recognize the blockages in your arteries.
Can ECG Report Indicate Blocked Arteries?
Initially, ECG can explore the fatal signs of blocked arteries. But, if doctors need to know the accurate signs of arterial blockage or for measurement of arterial blockage, CT Coronary Angiogram is the ideal diagnosis solution.
How To Diagnose Coronary Artery Disease?
- Coronary Angiography
- Echocardiogram
- Coronary Artery Calcium Scan
- Electrocardiogram
- Electron-beam Computed Tomography
- Exercise Stress Test
- Heart CT Scan
- Intravascular Ultrasound
- Nuclear Stress Test
How To Diagnose Cardiomyopathy?
- Blood tests
- Chest-X-ray
- Cardiac CT
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Exercise Stress Test
- Myocardial Biopsy
How To Diagnose Arrhythmia?
- Electrocardiogram
- Event Recorder
- Holter Monitor
- Implantable Loop Recorder
- Stress Test
- Tilt Table Test
- Electrophysiological Testing & Mapping
- Echocardiogram
