Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVHD) are a range of diseases affecting the heart

such as coronary artery, heart rhythm, heart defects, or blocked blood vessels leading to a heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association has suggested that people should track 7 key factors and behaviors that can increase the risk associated with the disease. They have been known as Life Simple 7.

• Smoking – Worldwide tobacco smoking including passive smoking can be considered as the major risk factor associated with cardiovascular diseases. This has contributed to more than seven million deaths per year.
• Physical Activity – About one in every three adults, almost 31%, agreed that they participate in no leisure time physical activity.
• Healthy Diet – Less than one percent of adults opt for an ideal healthy diet. Of the five most important requirements of healthy diet, reducing sodium and increasing whole grain consumption are the biggest challenges. The consumption of calories has increased drastically from 1971 to 2022. The average woman consumes about 1900 calories a day and a man consumes about 2700 calories a day.
• Obesity – About 71% of adults are reported to be overweight or obese. Obesity can reduce cardiac efficiency to a great extent.
• Cholesterol – More than 50% of people have reported having a high cholesterol content, more than 200 mg/dl. The cholesterol deposition can block arteries or blood vessels leading to ischemic heart attack.
• High Blood Pressure:– More pressure on the walls of the arteries can make them vulnerable, decreasing the cardiac output. High blood pressure is reported in almost 80% of people. Hypertension is reported to increase about 8-10% of the people every year.
• Diabetes – Diabetes is the condition wherein blood sugar levels are increased due to faulty metabolism of the glucose. The body converts the increased blood sugar into the fat and stores it for future use. This fat can be deposited in the arteries blocking their efficiency.

CVHD is caused by narrowed, blocked, or hardened blood vessels due to flow of blood to important organs of the body is obstructed. However, CVHD symptoms can be different for men and women like men are more likely to have chest pain and women are likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Heart diseases are strongly classified in three broad categories as follows:-

• Coronary Heart Diseases – This occurs when the flow of oxygen rich blood is reduced to a great extent or even blocked by a buildup of fatty material in the coronary arteries. These coronary arteries are the two major blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. As these arteries are narrowed due to plaque formation there can be a considerable chest pain called angina whereas if these arteries are completely blocked then it can cause heart attack.
• Peripheral Artery Diseases – Peripheral artery diseases can also be known as peripheral vascular diseases. They occur when the blood to the limbs is obstructed, usually legs. The most common symptoms associated with this difficulty are dull pain in legs and heavy sensation in the leg muscles,
• Aortic Diseases – The aorta, being the largest blood vessel in the body carrying blood from the heart to other vital organs, is blocked due to plaque formation. Due to this blockage the artery gets swollen and weak, bulging outward.