When Was Heart Disease Discovered?

When it comes to answering the question of when was heart disease discovered, there are actually a few different things that need to be discussed. Before 1900 there were actually very few people who died from heart disease, and this is even more reason why people in general should be more informed on the question of when was heart disease discovered.

One of the main reasons that heart disease became such a common problem is because of the serious change in diet. Machines were built to homogenize milk, process cheese, churn butter, and make ice cream, and now that these foods were no longer made by hand they were much easier to get and therefore people began eating more of them.

Then there is also the significant technological advances that came about, and because computers were basically able to do everything, people did not have to go out as much and physically work to do the tasks as they once had to.

The combination of a sedentary lifestyle and a rich diet ultimately led to people becoming overweight, and as well an increase in clogged blood vessels, heart attacks and strokes.

Today the causes of heart disease are actually unknown, but there are many effective methods of treatment that are available. First a proper assessment and diagnosis must be made, and after this the attending physician will determine what the best treatment method is going to be.

Exercise stress tests are used to measure symptoms, blood pressure and EKG during exercise, all which will help to keep an eye on one’s condition. There are also imaging procedures which may be used and which provide still or moving pictures through x-ray or CT scans. Surgical procedures are a more serious option here, and help by bypassing clogged arteries, replacing valves, and inserting pacemakers.

It is important for any heart disease sufferer to understand about the question of when was heart disease discovered, and to work together with their doctor if they do develop heart disease in order to have an eye kept on their condition and so the doctor can make sure that they are making proper progress.

Malfunctioning Heart And Blood Vessels

Basically, to answer the question as to what is heart disease, you first of all need to realize that it occurs when there is a malfunction in the heart and blood vessels, which in turn could be due to a number of reasons. There no doubts the fact that if your body is to function properly, it must get sufficient blood reaching the body cells and these cells in turn require getting adequate supply of oxygen which is borne in the blood that must then reach these cells.

However, apart from inadequate blood and oxygen supplies, another possible answer as to what is heart disease can be given by saying that it is really a genetics problem, especially if a person’s family has a history of heart disease, though it can also occur due to the advanced age of a person. In fact, you could even say that to understand what is heart disease, it is necessary to look at a person’s lifestyle to see whether they are smokers, have high blood pressure as well as are obese or overweight – all of which can lead to heart disease.

As mentioned, in today’s world people are living very busy lives and thus there is not enough free time available to them to regularly exercise and this along with eating fast foods that contain high amounts of fat can also prove to be the answer to what is heart disease. A dangerous combination such as eating junk food, not exercising and smoking or suffering from high blood pressure can all add up to being affected by heart disease.

The real answer as to what is heart disease can be given as being a group of medical problems that happen when your heart and its blood vessels cease to work in the manner that they should which then may result in heart attacks, heart failure and other similar conditions. However, heart disease is not contagious though certain risk factors can contribute to suffering from various types of heart disease.

In any case there is good news for you in that if you eat the proper food, exercise regularly and not become overly stressed and remain happy, you will then not need to worry about what is heart disease.

What Are the Risk Factors for Heart Disease That You Should Be Aware Of?

As with every fatal disease, heart problems too have their major warning signals which you should be aware of if you want to prevent it. Check out what you need to know so you could defend yourself from the danger of a heart attack and death.

Blood pressure is one of the major factors that lead to heart attack. When you ask the doctor what are the risk factors for heart disease, they would say that this is one of the most dangerous of all because it comes disguised as a simple problem when in fact it is a very serious one which can provoke a fatal heart attack within no time.

Another very dangerous factor is the cholesterol level in your blood. Fortunately, there has been enough awareness on this matter and this is one answer that would always be included when you ask what the risk factors for heart disease are. Cholesterol is a fatty substance used as a fuel by the body. When this is in excess, it becomes a type of plaque that coats the arteries of the heart narrowing them dangerously and blocking the flow of blood. This can lead to sudden heart attacks and death.

Smoking is another major factor that can lead to heart attack. In fact about 60 percent of people who suffer from heart attack are smokers. It is not surprising that doctors recommend you stop smoking the moment there is any signal of heart problem. This is another correct answer to the question on what are the risk factors for heart disease.

Prevention Is Always Better Than Cure

Instead of treating the problem, why not prevent it? This would spare you of a lot of agony and effort. Ensure that you have sufficient exercise, eat healthy eliminating saturated fat from your diet, limit your alcohol intake and stop smoking. These are some of the things you need to do if you want to stay clear of heart diseases.

The basic difference between these two is that the bad one clogs the arteries with a fat-like substance which in the long run could lead to heart attack and death; while the other one (good cholesterol) fight the free radicals in the body promoting tissue repair, better circulation and preventing heart problems.

What Are the Ways a High Fat Diet Contributes to Heart Disease?

The most popular foods today are junk food and fast food which offer deep fried and fatty food that mostly consist of saturated fats. Some foods that have a high percentage of (harmful) saturated fats are red meat, chocolate, whole milk, palm oil, egg yolk, poultry, butter, and ice cream among others.

This fat which is “tasty” and sought after in today’s in-vogue food. However, this is also the fat that leaves deposits of fat on the walls of your arteries causing it to thicken. Over time the passage become so small that blood passes too slowly or not at all – and here is where you would have a stroke or cardiac arrest and face death.

It need not reach this point at all. What you have to do is understand the ways a high fat diet contribute to heart disease and avoid all of these with all your heart (no pun intended). Use instead unsaturated fats which promote your health and removes this plaque that could have developed all over your arteries.

When you understand the ways a high fat diet contribute to heart disease you would realize that you cannot eliminate fat completely from the diet because if nothing else there are at least four major vitamins that could be absorbed into the blood only the good fat is present in the diet – and these vitamins are, Vitamins A, D, E and K. The unsaturated fats can indeed be obtained from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.

By blocking the ways a high fat diet contribute to heart disease you would have a healthier heart and the ability thereby to live a long and fruitful life for years and years ahead. Just keep a look out on what you put on you plate – what you eat may cost you your life.

What the Evidence Says About Vitamin E and Heart Disease?

The connection between vitamin E and heart disease had been first hinted at by Dr Even Shute more than five decades ago when he had published in a reputed medical journal his hypothesis that this vitamin can indeed fight heart disease successfully. For reasons that are not very clear now, these finding were not taken so seriously by the medical fraternity at that time.

However, the same claims have now been proven beyond contestation by a number of other research studies and clinical trials both on animals and people. In fact the studies results have been so encouraging that this is now considered as the miracle drug above the efficacy of the aspirin and other such drugs.

According to the American Heart Association, the vitamin E and heart disease connection is so strong (in terms of treatment) that this vitamin is now graded as number four on the list representing the top ten drugs that fight heart disease.

More Good News About the Vitamin E and Heart Disease Connection

Soon after it was accepted that vitamin E is indeed a great drug that prevents heart disease, another boon was discovered. Further studies and clinical trials on primates have shown that this vitamin not only averts heart problems, but also has the capacity to totally reverse it. The clinical trials have had monkey fed with foods high in bad cholesterol until their arteries were almost totally clogged with fat. The monkeys were then given vitamin E and sure enough the arteries cleared off.

This finding has tremendous importance for those who are unable to face surgery for various reasons such as age, diabetes, blood clotting problems, etc. For these people the role of vitamin E can be translated into a new lease of life.

It would be possible now to reverse the damage done to their arteries with a very simple treatment with the humble vitamin E. Not only that, this vitamin would be able to protect your heart even when you do not really abide by the rules of proper diet. What can be better news than that?

Heart Disease

Vitamin C and heart disease are a growing topic of research and study. This is because there has been significant evidence that there is a link between Vitamin C and heart disease. Doctors have long known that deficiency in Vitamin C causes degradation of tissues. These tissues include our arteries and blood vessels. Our arteries have a healing reaction when they feel that they are deficient in Vitamin C. They produce a form of low density lipoprotein to coat the stressed areas of the arteries.

Vitamin C is one of the main elements needed for the production of collagen. Between Vitamin C and heart disease, a deficiency in vitamin C will produce arteries that are prone to damage. Damaged or stressed arteries will produce the lipoprotein which in turn causes build up in the arterial walls. The proper supplementation of Vitamin C can help prevent heart disease.

This theory regarding Vitamin C and heart disease is compounded by scurvy victims who have ruptured blood vessels due to the disease. This shows that there is a solid connection to the health of our arteries and our supply of Vitamin C. Since our bodies do not produce Vitamin C on it s own, we are supposed to supplement this with a diet rich in Vitamin C. Animals who produce Vitamin C naturally do not suffer from any forms of heart disease.

Vitamin C is also said to promote the production of ubiquinone which plays an antioxidant role in our body. It can also lower blood pressure as well as play a significant role in brain health. Ubiquinone has also been cited as an aide to mitochondrial and metabolic disorders.

The link between Vitamin C and heart disease has been established that it does have a significant effect on heart disease. Supplementing our healthy diets with enough Vitamin C can effectively impact our body and help prevent heart disease. Not only is there a link between Vitamin C and heart disease but Vitamin C can also help with a lot of other sicknesses and diseases.

Heart diseases are classified according to what causes it. Heart disease could be the result of faulty heart muscles; or blocked arteries which are unable to supply the required amount of blood in the correct direction; yet others would be due to problems with the valves which are situated within the heart.

Causes

Valvular heart disease is that heart problem that results from faulty valves. These valves are situated within the heart their function mostly being to regulate the blood flow through the heart. Valvular heart disease could be caused by leaking valves, inability of the valves to close fully resulting in leakage within the heart or inability of the valves to open properly causing blockage.

You will find that such inconsistencies can happen due congenital problems, i.e. a defect that happened before birth or infections such as rheumatic fever. In some cases it could even be due to side effects of medications. With valvular heart disease, the body does not get sufficient blood and even if it gets it, the quality of the blood circulated is not optimal. Therefore the tissues and organs start deteriorating and malfunctioning.

Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of valvular heart disease would be shortness of breath, fluid retention, fatigue and even heart failure which results in death. Very often the symptoms are not easily identifiable which would make it difficult to avail of medical treatment in time. This is why it is important to have periodical check ups at intervals of one year or maximum two so any type of diseases, particularly potentially dangerous ones such as heart diseases could be identified and treated in time to prevent, stroke, paralysis and even life loss.

Those who already have a history of heart failure need to be particularly cautious so they would be able to not only treat the heart problem in time, but also prevent it before it causes any serous trouble.

In case you are diagnosed with any valvular or any other heart disease, you should always carry around your medication and also you need to make other people (such as co-workers, friends, family members) are aware of your problem because if an heart attack occurs they should bring you to the nearest hospital since it is critical that you receive medical attention at the earliest possible.

Coronary Heart Disease

Of all the types of heart disease, CHD is the most common. This type of heart disease is primarily caused by constricted arteries and reduced supply of blood to the heart.

Heart Attack

A heart attack is one of the types of heart disease that can be a silent killer. If you do not go for a check up you do not have any signs that you may be at risk of a heart attack. The most common cause of a heart attack is coronary thrombosis which means there is a blockage in one of the arteries leading to the heart. This blockage cuts of the normal supply of blood to the heart.

Hypertension

This type of heart disease is another silent killer because it shows no outward signs. The probable causes of hypertension or high blood pressure are stress, build up of fatty deposits or plaque on the arterial walls, hardening of the arteries and others. Among the types of heart disease, this one can result to another disease, which is diabetes.

Ischemic Heart Disease

This disease is the result of reduce blood flow to the heart, mainly atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the blood vessels and arteries which can be caused by a number of diseases.

Arrythmia, Tachycardia And Heart Murmurs

These types of heart disease have something to do with the beating of one’s heart. Arrythmia is a disorder of one’s heart beat while tachycardia is the rapid beating of the heart and heart murmurs is the different sound that an abnormal heart makes compared to normal beating. They are usually caused by abnormalities in the heart which our body can usually cope with, excessive exertion, large meals, caffeine, blockages and many more.

Rheumatic Heart Disease

This heart disease is primarily caused by the damage that Rheumatic Fever does to the heart. The symptoms of these types of heart disease depend on the extent of damage. It can also have an effect on the mitral valves of the heart leading to various other diseases.

Pulmonary Heart Disease

These types of heart disease are the results of a disorder of the lungs that affects the heart. This disease is the result of reduced or blocked flow of blood to the lungs resulting in enlargement of the heart due to it exerting pressure to push blood in the lungs. Advanced emphysema, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension are the other causes of pulmonary heart disease.

These different types of heart disease can cause death and disability. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in many countries including the United States of America.

What Is the Treatment for Heart Disease That You Should Absolutely Know About?

Unfortunately there is no one treatment for heart disease as there is not one but many causes for this problem. When you are at the beginning of the ladder the treatment is not too serious as the risk in this bracket is low. The main objective of any treatment is to keep the heart running smoothly.

For this purpose, there are many tablets that can work wonders such as nitrates, calcium channel blockers and beta blockers among others which promote the proper functioning of the heart. Some of these tablets influence the heart to beat faster or slower while others help in clearing the arteries so the blood can flow freely.

There are other medications (which are known as statins) that clear the plaque formed by bad cholesterol and there is the ever-green aspirin which thins the blood in such a manner that it cannot create the blood clots that could lead to heart attack.

Of course, all this medication is to be taken only on doctor’s advice; however, before you accept the prescription and advice make sure you understand exactly what is the problem you are suffering from and how would the medicines work for you. Do not be afraid to ask questions when treatment for heart disease is involved – this is really a matter of life and death.

Sometimes Surgery Is Required As Treatment for Heart Disease?

You will agree that not all heart problems could be treated with the help of only oral medication. Sometimes the case is such that it needs surgical intervention. This happens when the arteries are too badly clogged and special efforts would be required to clear it.

In this type of treatment for heart disease you will find treatments that use terms such as bypass surgery, grinding or balloon insertion – all of which are intended to enlarge the arteries in such a way that it would allow blood to pass freely to and fro the heart and prevent heart attacks.

Millions Of Deaths Due To Heart Diseases

There no doubts the fact that each year millions of people die of heart disease all around the world and that it is also something that is seriously affecting those living in the United States. Thus, the need to understand the symptoms of heart disease has become somewhat of a necessity and it is imperative that we learn about the varied and unusual symptoms of heart disease if we are to do something to prevent being affected by serious heart diseases.

In fact, heart diseases are of different types with each having its own special symptoms though there may be some commonality too amongst various symptoms as well. Thus, though heart failure, congenial heart disease, heart attack and coronary heart disease may have different symptoms, they also share some common ones as well.

Among the common symptoms of heart disease there are those such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, pain in various body parts, nausea and coldness as well as vomiting, and a few more as well. And, when it concerns heart failure, the symptoms commonly associated with this heart disease are coughing, fatigue and shortness of breath as well as swelling.

In any case, among the common symptoms of heart disease are those that are most often related to heart attacks and they include feeling pain in the armpit region, toothaches as well as pain in the arms. On the other hand, symptoms of congenial heart disease resemble those of other common heart diseases and include shortness of breath, fast breathing, passing out as well as experiencing difficulties in feeding as well as feeling pain in the chest region and also cyanosis, and a few more as well.

Thus, it is safe to say that symptoms of heart disease vary according to the type of heart disease though common symptoms are feeling pain in the chest, shortness of breath, fainting, cyanosis as well as crushing pain that comes and goes and it is also accompanied by sweating as too some nauseas and feeling light headed as well.

Hopefully, if one becomes aware of possible symptoms of heart disease, then one can take remedial action and do what it takes to eliminate the possibility of such symptoms developing and thus live a longer as well as healthier life.