This is for my brother

[GojiLord]

(This for my bros report, our printer does not work so I did this for him.)

Heart Diease
Recent studies studies suggest that spasms of the coronary blood vessels play an important role in angina and heart attacks. Heart Disease can effect not only old people but also middle - aged and younger adults, teenagers, children, even newborn babies. Heart disease is not just one disease but a number of types of disorders affecting the heart. Heart disease in teens is usually different from that in adults children and teens may have it in birth.Heart disease is the number one killer. The chances are about one in two that you, and the people close to you, will someday die of some form of cardiovascular disease.

Having elevated blood cholesterol, whether due to genetics or a diet high in animal fats, is another factor that puts people at risk. The American Heart Association says HDL levels should be forty or above, while LDLs should be less than one hundred. Heart disease is a term used to refer to several diseases of the heart and circulatory system, including coronary artery disease, heart arrhythmias, heart attack, angina and heart failure. This can cause a heart attack of stroke. That's why managing high cholesterol is important to heart health.

Dietary changes include not only lowering dietary fatand calories, but also avoiding habit informing substance like caffeine and tobacco. Moreover, both substances cause blood vessels thoughout the body to constrict. This makes it harder for blood to reach the heart. Many cardiac rehabilitation programs offer special counseling sessions aimed at helping participants to stop smoking. In order to protect the heart, the american Heart association suggets limiting daily fat intake to no more than 30 percent of total daily caloric intake. Then blood flow through their coronary arteries was monitoeed. One of the topics patients learn about in cardiac rehabilitation is the importance of eating a heart - healthy diet.

One of the most effective drugs for the control of heart disease was originally a folk remedy. About two centuries ago, an English physician named William Withering, who studied plants as a hobby, heard of a marvelous tea brewed by an old woman in shrpshire. Cocaine use can cause serious heart problems. Even people who have used coke only once can die of a heart attack. Studies show cocaine use among pregnant women may cause birth deffects of their unborn child.

Congenital Heart disease affects Newborns and is normally the cause of structural defects inthe heart. Heart disease can be a frightening illness, but it is preventable by living a healthy lifestyle and eating a low - fat diet. Reducing stress is another lifestyle chance people with heart disease are urged to make. Like exercise, meditation is away people with heart disease reduce stress.

Similarly, genetics appears to play a role in the development of coronary heart disease. Genetics, too, influences an infant's risk of congenital heart disease. However, as the plaque deposit grows, damage to the artery wallsrecurs. Complicating matter, plaque is hard and rough, and it scratches and cracks the smooth wall of the coronary artieres.

Conversely, weight loss decreases blood pressure. Being over weight is also linked to heart failure and high blood pressure. Moreover, over weight people usually eat more dietary fat than they need, which raises blood choleserol levels.

Tests for heart disease include a physical exam, ablood test, an echocardiogram, an electrocardiogram, a stress tests, and an angiogram. When a person reports any heart disease - related symptoms, heart disease is suspected.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle is another unhealthy habit that people with heart disease are advised to change. Although a physical exam is used to diagnose almost every disease, it is particularly important in diagnosing heart disease. Exercise is important to keeping the heart healthy.

Because smoking raises blood pressure, people who smoke are at risk of developing heart disease. Although scientists are not sure why, nicotine also seems to cause HDL levels to fall. Nitroglycerine, for example, is frequently used to treat angina. Drugs called bets - blackers are prescribed to reduce the heart's workload.

In a heart attack, the most important factor - the one that can mean the difference between life and death is time. About 550,000 people die of heart attacks each year, and many of them die needlessly - because they do not recognice the warning signs, do not know the right things to do, or do not get to skilled help in time. Warning signs and symptoms of other heart diseases may not be the same as the signs of a heart attack. Tschemic heart disease is characterized by chest pain, angina and heart failure. Heart attacks are usually caused by severe coronary artery disease ( CAD ). CAD is any condition that affects the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. Plaque in a common type of coronary artery disease.

Babies whose mothers are exposed to powerful chemicals, including industrial - strength cleaning fluids and during first trimester of pregnancy are a high - risk group. Anyone can get a Heart disease. Males are five times more likely to develop Coronary heart disease. Age gender are other factors that influence an individual's risk of developing coronary heart disease. Doctors diagnose damage to the heart, congenital heart defects, disorders of the heart vaves, blood flow problems, and heart faliure is an echocardiogram. This test, also referred to as an ultrasound, uses high - frequency sound waves to obtain a picture of the heart. Physical Inactivity is still another risk factor. The heart is composed of muscle fiber. Conversely, an inactive person's heart is less efficient and has to work harder to pump adequate blood to the body.

Heart attack - A heart attack is caused by the death of, or damage to, part of the heart muscle. Heart attacks usually occur because the supply of blood to the heart muscle is greatly reduced or stopped. A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction. People who are under chronic stress are also at risk of devloping heart disease. Eating too much, not getting enough exercise, smoking, living under too much stress - all these things seem to increase the risk of developing heart disease. Heart disease is not a single disease but rather a group of conditions that affect the cardiovascular system. One of the most powerful weapons against heart disease is information. when people know the latest medical theories on how styles of living can help or hurt the heart, they can evaluate their own life - styles and perhaps change to more sensible ways. Each year about 550,000 Americans fall victim to heart attacks. Hundreds of thousands more die of other cardiovascular disease aillments of the heart and blood vessels. Herbal treatment is one oof the most popular forms of alternative treatment for heart disease. Oxygen is administered through an oxygen mask. 1969 was a landmark year. In that year, for the first time in this century, there was a drop in the number of deaths from heart attacks among young and middle - aged people. Since then the number of heart - attack deaths has continued to drop. Many individuals find support among their peers in port group. Often damage to the heart - sometimes even death - is caused by disease of the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels are linked together into a single circulatory system and depend on each other as they do their work in the body. Heart faliure affects approximately 10 percent of people but happens more often in older people. Hearing a heart mur mur alerts the doctor to the fact that something is wrong in the heart, and often the kind of extra sound and the part of the heart cycle in which it is heard give the doctor a good idea of what kind of problem exists. Since heart tissue can survive only a few hours after its blood supply has ceased, heart attack victims clearly require immediate treatment.

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that may affect many connective tissues of the body, especially those of the heart, joints, brain or skin. It usually starts out as a strep throat (streptococcal) infection. Anyone can get acute rheumatic fever, but it usually occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 15 years. About 60% of people with rheumatic fever develop some degree of subsequent heart disease.
Every part of the heart, including the outer sac (the pericardium), the inner lining (the endocardium) and the valves may be damaged by inflammation caused by acute rheumatic fever. However, the most common form of rheumatic heart disease affects the heart valves, particularly the mitral valve. It may take several years after an episode of rheumatic fever for valve damage to develop or symptoms to appear.
Antibiotics can prevent streptococcal infection from developing into rheumatic fever. Any child with a persistent sore throat should have a throat culture to check for strep infection. Penicillin or another antibiotic will usually prevent strep throat from developing into rheumatic fever.Symptoms of heart valve problems, which is often the result of rheumatic heart disease, can include: chest pain, excessive fatigue, heart palpitations (when the heart flutters or misses beats), a thumping sensation in the chest, shortness of breath, and swollen ankles, wrists or stomach. If heart damage from rheumatic fever is identified in childhood or young adulthood, daily antibiotics may be required until the age of 25 or 30, to help prevent recurrence of rheumatic fever and avoid the development of infective bacterial infection of the heart valves or lining of the heart. Additional treatment will depend on the type of heart damage. Sometimes, age or disease can prevent heart valves from opening properly. The valves become narrower, and this narrowing is called stenosis. As the opening narrows, the heart cant push as much blood through as before. Valve stenosis makes the heart less efficient. Because stenosis makes the heart work harder to pump the same volume of blood, it may also lead to an increase in the size of the heart muscle. Unfortunately, larger doesnt mean stronger or more efficient when it comes to hearts. In fact, enlargement of the heart muscle may lead to serious complications.There is another subtype of stenosis known as Pulmonary valve stenosis which is a narrowing or obstruction that partly or completely blocks the flow of blood. Obstructions can occur in heart valves, arteries or veins. The pulmonary valve (which lets blood flow from the right lower chamber of the heart to the lungs) is narrowed. As a result, the right lower chamber (right ventricle) must pump harder than normal to overcome the obstruction. This may cause stress on, and enlargement of, the right ventricle.In valve prolapse, the valve flaps do not close smoothly or evenly. Instead, they collapse backwards into the heart chamber they are supposed to be sealing off. This sometimes makes a clicking noise and allows a small amount of blood to lea k backward through the valve. This group of conditions may be called mitral valve prolapse, click-murmur syndrome, Barlow's syndrome, balloon mitral valve and floppy valve syndrome.Another common problem occurs when a heart valve doesnt close securely. This is called regurgitation (or sometimes called valvular insufficiency). This condition reduces the hearts pumping efficiency. When the heart contracts, blood is forced backwards through the damaged valve as well as forward in the proper direction. This not only limits the hearts ability to supply the body with blood but may cause problems with the lungs.Heart valve disorders can usually be diagnosed based on a description of symptoms and on a physical examination. Often a valve disorder makes a very distinctive murmuring sound, which can be easily heard through a stethoscope. If your doctor suspects you have a valve disorder, may additional tests.You will note that the medications listed below are categorized by condition. If you have high cholesterol, for example, youll look under that topic for the medications that are regularly prescribed for that condition. Simply click on that drug and it will link you to the information. While we have listed many of the current generic medications that are prescribed for heart disease in Canada, you may find that your medication may not be covered in this section. Please speak to your physician. Be sure you know the names and dosages of the medications you are taking and a little bit about how they work. Make a list of your medications to keep with you in your purse or wallet. Before having surgery, including dental surgery, tell your doctor or dentist what medications you are taking. An antibiotic may need to be prescribed prior to your surgical or dental procedure.If you are taking medications, do not take any over-the-counter drugs or herbal therapies without first checking with your doctor or pharmacist. Some drugs, such as antacids for stomach upset, salt substitutes, antihistamines for allergies and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for pain relief or headaches (such as ibuprofen), can worsen certain heart conditions. Avoid potentially dangerous drug interactions by telling your doctor or pharmacist about any other medication including prescription, non-prescription or natural health products (vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies, homeopathic medicines, traditional medicines such as traditional Chinese medicines, probiotics and other products such as amino acids and essential fatty acids).Most people who have had a heart attack or heart surgery should wait for at least four to six weeks after they leave the hospital before driving. The reason: weakness, fatigue or medications may slow your reaction time. Consider your own safety and the safety of others. If you have other heart conditions, speak to your doctor about the length of time that is right for you. If you are a commercial driver, you will likely not be permitted to drive for at least three months after having had a heart attack or heart surgery. Your provincial or territorial ministry responsible for transportation will usually require information from your doctor before reissuing your commercial license.If you worked before your heart attack or heart condition, you can usually go back to the same job within eight to 16 weeks. How soon you can return depends on many factors including your symptoms, how you feel and how physically demanding or stressful your job is. It may be a good idea to return on a part-time basis at first and gradually work up to full-time hours. It’s normal to feel anxious or uncertain about resuming sexual activity after your heart attack , heart surgery or if you have a heart condition. If you are concerned that sexual activity may bring on a heart attack, this is very rare. Sexual activity is not as demanding on your heart as you may think. In fact, if you can easily walk up two flights of stairs or walk briskly, your heart can meet the demands of sexual activity. Most people can usually resume sexual activity within two to three weeks of coming home from the hospital. Some medications, however, may reduce your sex drive. Some men may find that certain drugs may make it more difficult to obtain or maintain an erection. Talk to your doctor about any questions or concerns you may have.Air travel can be stressful if you are recovering from heart surgery or have a heart condition – whether you are navigating through a crowded airport with your luggage or dealing with the cramped space and lowered humidity levels on-board. If you have recently had a heart attack or have an existing heart condition, always talk to your doctor and check with your airline before you plan a trip. Most major insurance companies will not provide out-of-province or out-of-country medical insurance earlier than 90 days after a heart attack or a change in your medical treatment. Each airline also has its own policy for flying passengers after a heart attack. Cardiac rehabilitation is a program of exercise, education and counselling designed to help you recover after a heart attack or other heart condition. This personalized program will help you regain your strength, prevent your condition from getting worse and reduce your risk of having heart problems in the future.
If you have had a heart attack, heart surgery or have heart disease, your doctor may recommend you join a cardiac rehabilitation program. your area, or contact your public health department, hospital or local office of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.About 20% of strokes are hemorrhagic, which means they are caused by uncontrolled bleeding in the brain. This bleeding interrupts normal blood flow in the brain and by flooding the brain, kills brain cells. Your brain is the most complex organ in your body. It consists of over 100 billion specialized nerve cells called neurons and it acts as a command centre for everything you do, think, sense and say. These neurons depend on the blood vessels in your brain for oxygen and nutrients. Neurons cannot duplicate or repair themselves.
Different parts of the brain control different functions. When someone has a stroke, the functions that are affected depend upon which area of the brain was damaged and how much damage occurred. Learning what the different parts of the brain do can help you understand why the effects of stroke can be so different among different people.The brain stem sits at the base of the brain and connects to the top of your spine. It maintains important body functions such as breathing, swallowing, digestion, eye movement and your heartbeat. Strokes in the brain stem are often fatal, but when they are not, they affect many of these functions.The cerebellum is at the bottom of the brain, at the back of your head. It is attached to the back of the brain stem, and looks like a miniature brain. It helps control some automatic responses and behaviours, simple movements such as picking up a small object, and more complicated tasks such as balancing. A stroke in this part of the brain could cause a lack of coordination, clumsiness, shaking or other movement disorders. Also known as the "thinking brain", the cerebrum is the main, bulky part of your brain. This is where thinking and intelligence take place, as well as the control of your muscles. The cerebrum is made of two halves or hemispheres. Each hemisphere is divided into portions called lobes.Usually, one of these hemispheres is slightly more developed and is called the dominant side. The dominant side is where written and spoken language is organized. In almost all of us, the left hemisphere is dominant even if you are right handed. Because the nervous system is set up in a cross-over design, the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body, and vice versa.Behind the frontal lobe lies the parietal lobe. It is concerned mainly with sensory activities, such as receiving and interpreting information from all parts of the body. A stroke to the parietal lobes in the right hemisphere can cause agnosia, which means you can feel, see and hear, but may not be able to understand what you are perceiving. In other cases, a condition called neglect may develop. People with neglect have many sensory problems on the stroke-involved side of the body. As a result, they may ignore everything on that side.Each stroke is different. How well you recover from a stroke depends upon many factors including how much and what parts of your brain were damaged and your health before the stroke. The work you do with your stroke rehabilitation team and the support from family and friends are also important to your recovery.A stroke damages the brain and causes a sudden loss of brain function. Because your brain controls everything you say, do and think a stroke can have a lot of different effects.Any major illness will change your life. Almost all stroke survivors recover to some extent. Most stroke survivors go on to lead full, meaningful lives. Your stroke rehabilitation team, family, friends and relatives can help you make the best possible recovery.If you have symptoms that could be stroke-related or have risk factors for stroke, your doctor may also want to conduct a number of tests to help with his/her diagnosis and treatment. First, he/she will want to determine if a stroke has, in fact, occurred. Then if it has, your doctor will need to identify what type of stroke you have had, and what parts of your brain have been affected.Marfan syndrome is a connective tissue disorder. Connective tissue is like the glue that holds your cells together. It gives substance and support to your tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, cartilage, heart valves and many other structures. If you have Marfan syndrome, your connective tissue isn't normal so many of your body's structures aren't as firm as they should be including structures in your heart. If your heart is affected, its valves may be oversized and may not function properly, which causes some blood to flow backwards when the heart pumps. If the aorta (the body's main artery which carries oxygen-rich blood out of the heart to the rest of the body) is affected, it may enlarge or split, leaking blood into your chest or abdomen. This is known as a dissecting aortic aneurysm. Marfan syndrome is inherited.There is no single, conclusive test for diagnosing Marfan syndrome. People with this disorder often have many characteristic traits. They are often tall and thin, with slender, tapering fingers, long arms and legs, curvature of the spine. They tend to suffer from eye and heart problems. Valve problems associated with Marfan syndrome may cause a heart murmur, which can be heard through a stethoscope.If you are taking medications for your heart conditions, check with your doctor to be sure your medications will not cause problems when you have dental work. If you were born with a heart problem or have had a valve replacement, you are at a greater risk for heart infections (infective endocarditis) resulting from dental or medical procedures. Also, some heart medications such as anti-platelets (ASA, acetylsalicylic acid) may cause complications, like excessive bleeding, during dental procedures. Long Q-T syndrome is a rare disorder of the heart's electrical system that can happen in otherwise healthy people. The electrical activity that is recorded produces a characteristic pattern and the different parts of the pattern are labeled with the letters P, Q, R, S and T. The space between the Q and the T (the Q-T interval) represents the time it takes for the electrical signal to pass through the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). If it takes longer than normal, it is diagnosed as a prolonged Q-T interval.People with Long Q-T syndrome do not necessarily have a prolonged Q-T interval all of the time. It is possible for patients to have an ECG with a normal Q-T interval. People with this syndrome may show prolongation of the Q-T interval during physical exercise, while experiencing intense emotion or when startled. In one type of inherited long Q-T syndrome, the person is also deaf.No special preparation is needed. Blood is drawn from a vein in one arm. Your arm is first cleaned with an antiseptic and then a tourniquet (an elastic band) or a blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm, which causes the veins in the lower arm to fill with blood. A needle is inserted into the vein and the blood is collected in a vial or syringe. Once blood is taken, the needle is removed and a bandage is applied. The whole procedure should take no more than five minutes.An exercise ECG is usually done in a clinic or hospital. You will be asked to walk on a treadmill (or sometimes pedal a stationary bicycle). Small metal electrodes are attached to your chest, then you will either begin by walking slowly or pedalling. As you walk, a technician will monitor your heart's activity and rate, your breathing and blood pressure. Gradually the speed of the treadmill is increased so you have to walk more quickly. This will help your doctor see how your heart handles progressively greater challenges. The test continues until your heart is beating as fast as it safely can (you reach your peak exercise capacity, given your age and condition), or until you experience chest pain. It is generally a safe procedure, although it may trigger chest pain or irregular heart rhythms. Be sure to let someone know if you are feeling any discomfort or other symptoms. The length of time for the test is usually between 15 and 30 minutes. Holter monitoring is usually used to diagnose heart rhythm disturbances specifically to find the cause of palpitations or dizziness. You wear a small recording device, called a Holter monitor, which is connected to small metal disks called electrodes that are placed on your chest to get a reading of your heart rate and rhythm over a 24-hour period or longer. Your hearts rhythm is transmitted and recorded on a tape, then played back into a computer so it can be analyzed to find out what is causing your arrhythmia. Some monitors let you push a record button to capture a rhythm as soon as you feel any symptoms. Like a Holter monitor, an event monitor also uses a recording device to monitor your heart, although it uses a smaller monitoring device one such device is the size of a beeper, and another is worn like a wristwatch. Unlike the Holter, it does not continuously monitor your heart over a 24-hour period. It doesnt record until you feel symptoms and trigger the monitor. When you feel the symptoms of an arrhythmia, you can telephone a monitoring station, where a record can be made. Or, if you cannot get to a phone, you can save the information in memory, which can later be sent to a monitoring station. A thallium scan uses radioactive tracer to see how much blood is reaching different parts of your heart. These tests are the more common forms of tests called nuclear medicine scans. You may also hear them called thallium myocardial imaging, cold spot imaging, myocardial perfusion imaging or thallium scintigraphy. These scans are often done to determine the size and location of injured muscle after a heart attack and will help your doctor find out more about your hearts cells and its blood supply. It is also sometimes done after bypass surgery to see whether grafted blood vessels are functioning properly. It may be recommended for people with persistent unexplained chest pain, or to learn more about irregularities found during an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG).You will be asked to lie on a table, then a small amount of thallium (a radioactive tracer) is injected into a vein in your arm. A special camera then measures the amount of the tracer that is carried through your bloodstream into your heart. The parts of your heart that receive good blood supply will pick up the tracer. The areas with poor blood supply will not pick it up, so will appear as dark areas (cold spots) on the scan. Thallium scans may sometimes be done after exercise. It is best to check with the centre where you are having the test to find out how long it will take.In this test, you are asked to lie on a special bed that can be tilted to different positions. You will be safely strapped in. Your heart and blood pressure will be monitored throughout the test. An IV (an intravenous line or tube) is put into a vein in your arm so you can receive different drugs during the test. Then, the bed you are lying on is tilted, so that you go from a reclining position to an almost upright one. At the same time, you may be given drugs through the IV. Some of these medications may cause side effects such as stomachache, nausea, light-headedness or a rapid heartbeat. These effects dont last long. Your reactions will often help your doctor pinpoint the exact cause of your arrhythmia. The test varies per patient and usually lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is a special type of echocardiogram. It is usually done when your doctor wants to look more closely at your heart to see if it could be producing blood clots. Like an echocardiogram, the TEE uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to examine the structures of the heart. A transducer (a unit that directs the sound waves) is placed in the esophagus (the pipe that connects the mouth to the stomach). The esophagus is close to the heart, so images from a TEE can give very clear pictures of the heart and its structures.You may be given a mild sedative to help you relax. You may also be given oxygen during the procedure. Your throat will be numbed with an anesthetic, then a flexible tube about the size of your index finger is inserted into your mouth and down your esophagus. During the procedure, you may feel the probe moving, but it wont be painful or interfere with your breathing. The transducer at the tip of the tube releases sound waves that bounce off your heart and are converted into pictures on a video screen. The doctor can move the tube up, down and sideways to look at different parts of your heart from different angles. The test usually takes about 20 to 40 minutes.Cardiovascular disease is defined as diseases and injuries of the heart, the blood vessels of the heart, and the system of blood vessels (veins and arteries) throughout the body and within the brain. Although there are many aspects of this disease, the fundamental problem is that the supply of oxygen and the necessary nutrients carried by our blood are constricted or blocked. Smoking caused my grandma to have a heart attack she was in the hospital for a long time getting treatments and stuff to find out if she would be ok to leave and go back home with my grandpa she was aloud a few days later but she was very weak. She gave up smoking to try to get her heart healthy again she takes a lot of pills now because of her heart attack but they can come when you least expect it. My mom's father died of having a heart attack before I was born i never got to meet him and that just tells u how fast a heart attack can happen and kill some one that you love very much. You want to exercise and eat right to keep your body and your heart healthy so you could prevent a heart attack that could happen to you faster than you think.Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer in Canada. Smoking tobacco is the single most important preventable cause of lung cancer, accounting for 85% of all new cases of lung cancer in Canada. Smoking causes genetic changes in the cells of the lung that lead to the development of lung cancer. Research shows that smoking tobacco can lead to respiratory and upper digestive tract cancers, particularly cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) and esophagus. Research also indicates that smoking tobacco is a contributing cause of leukemia and cancers of the bladder, stomach, kidney and pancreas. Female smokers are at greater risk for developing cervical cancer. The respiratory diseases associated with smoking are often grouped together and referred to as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis. Cigarette smoking connected to an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, including coughing, phlegm, wheezing and difficult or laboured breathing (dyspnea).Cardiovascular diseases are diseases and injuries of the heart, the blood vessels of the heart, and of the system of blood vessels (veins and arteries) throughout the body and brain. Cardiovascular diseases caused by smoking include heart attacks and angina (coronary heart diseases), blockages in the legs (peripheral vascular disease), and strokes (cerebrovascular diseases).Heart disease and stroke are major causes of illness, disability and death in Canada and they exact high personal, community and health care costs. The goal of The Changing Face of Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada, the fifth in a series of reports from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Surveillance System (CHSSS), is to provide health professionals and policy makers with an overview of current trends in risk factors, interventions and services, and health outcomes of heart disease and stroke in Canada. The high prevalence rate of the major risk factors - smoking, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemias, obesity, and diabetes - continues to contribute to the epidemic of heart disease and stroke in Canada. There is a lack of significant improvement in these risk factors. Differences in risk factors exist among men and women, various age groups and individuals living in different regions of the country.
Recent research findings on the underlying causes of heart disease and stroke related to infection, micronutrients, homocysteine and oxidants, as well as genes provide possible new avenues for prevention.
Ongoing data captured through a surveillance system are necessary to monitor risk factors in the population. The most recent national level data for risk factors that require personal measures such as blood pressure, blood sugar for diabetes, blood lipids, and weight and height for obesity, are over ten years old. This limits our ability to assess the impact of prevention initiatives. In addition, better data are needed on nutrition and the dietary habits of Canadians.Interventions, Services and Costs Interventions, Services and Costs Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is the leading cause of hospitalization for men and women (excluding childbirth). Based on the rates of hospitalization by age group, acute myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease become important health problems starting at age 45 for men and 55 for women. Congestive heart failure and stroke affect older individuals with much higher admission rates over age 75 for both men and women. Marked differences exist in the rate of hospitalization and procedures for men and women that are still unexplained.
Clinical practice guidelines based on the latest research evidence provide direction for the appropriate use of the wide range of therapeutic interventions by health professionals. Gaps exist between recommendations for practice and actual practice, not only for treatment but also for prevention. Greater adherence to these guidelines would improve the treatment of heart disease and stroke. Recent initiatives by the pharmaceutical industry to promote a more holistic approach to treatment are a welcome step toward achieving better health outcomes.
An increase in the number of elderly in the population who have high risk profiles will lead to an increased need for the full range of health services required to manage heart disease and stroke effectively - ambulatory care, acute and chronic care hospitals, rehabilitation, home care and support, pharmaceuticals, health education, and other interventions. Improved data at the community, provincial/territorial and national level on interventions and health services would assist health service providers and funders in planning for and evaluating these services more effectively.Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is the leading cause of death of over one-third of Canadians. It not only affects the elderly but is also the third leading cause of premature death under age 75. Mortality rates for ischemic heart disease and acute myocardial infarction continue to decrease, but mortality rates for stroke have not changed significantly during the past ten years.
The number of elderly in the Canadian population has been increasing in recent years. As a result of this trend, there has been an increase in the number of deaths due to stroke and ischemic heart disease. This trend is expected to continue for the next fifteen years.
Heart disease has a major impact on an individual's quality of life, including chronic pain or discomfort, activity restriction, disability, and unemployment.
While there are detailed data on deaths from heart disease and stroke, there is a lack of data on other critical health outcomes, such as incidence, prevalence and quality of life, needed to plan and evaluate prevention and management interventions.
Behaviours that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke and the underlying pathophysiologic changes begin early in life. Therefore, it is essential that prevention begins in early childhood.
Greater effort must be made to prevent children and youth from starting to smoke cigarettes. The rates of smoking among youth aged 15 to 19 continue to increase with the greatest increase evident among young women. The factors that influence smoking include personal factors such as low self-esteem but also include smoking patterns in the family and the accessibility of cigarettes.
Young children are physically active but physical activity decreases during the teenage years, particularly among young women.
Obesity is a problem for a significant proportion of children aged 7 to 12. Programs to promote healthy weights must also address the concern young women have about the need to be thin, as this contributes to the decision to smoke.
There is a lack of data on congenital heart disease in Canada. This limits the ability to track this important health problem and plan effectively for health services for this population group.Your heart is a muscle that gets energy from blood carrying oxygen and nutrients. Having a constant supply of blood keeps your heart working properly. Most people think of heart disease as one condition. But in fact, heart disease is a group of conditions affecting the structure and functions of the heart and has many root causes. Coronary artery disease, for example, develops when a combination of fatty materials, calcium and scar tissue (called plaque) builds up in the arteries that supply blood to your heart (coronary arteries). The plaque buildup narrows the arteries and prevents the heart from getting enough blood. You know how important your heart is, so it's no wonder people worry when they hear someone has heart problems.
Heart disease, also called cardiovascular (say: kar-dee-oh-vas-kyoo-lur) disease, mainly affects older people and means that there are problems with the heart and blood vessels.
You might know someone who has cardiovascular disease because 61 million Americans have some form of it. This disease includes a variety of problems, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, chest pain, heart attacks, and strokes.Heart disease is not contagious — you can't catch it like you can the flu or a cold. Instead, there are certain things that increase a person's chances of getting cardiovascular disease. Doctors call these things risk factors.
Some of these risk factors a person can't do anything about, like being older and having other people in the family who have had the same problems. But people do have control over some risk factors — smoking, having high blood pressure, being overweight, and not exercising can increase the risk of getting cardiovascular disease.Many people do not realize they have cardiovascular disease until they have chest pain, a heart attack, or stroke. These kinds of problems often need immediate attention and the person may need to go to the emergency department of a hospital.
If it's not an emergency and a doctor suspects the person could have cardiovascular disease, the doctor can do some tests to find out more about how the heart and blood vessels are working.If someone you know is getting one of these operations, you might feel worried. The good news is that these surgeries can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other problems. The amount of time the person will need to spend in the hospital will vary, depending on the operation and the person's health. The person may be tired and worn out after the surgery, but you can help by making a "Get Well" card and paying a visit.This interactive tool estimates your risk of coronary heart disease and provides personalized tips for prevention. Anyone can use it, but it’s most accurate for people who have never had any type of heart disease. The most important thing to remember is that you're not alone. More than 5 million Americans are living with heart failure, and 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. You can manage this condition, and we’re here to help. Regardless of your treatment, you need to follow all of your doctor’s recommendations and make the necessary changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle to give you the highest possible quality of life. Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack. Major risk factors are those that research has shown significantly increase the risk of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease. Other factors are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but their significance and prevalence haven't yet been precisely determined. They're called contributing risk factors.