Heart Disease
Cardiovascular diseases or diseases of the heart and blood vessels are still the number one cause of deaths in the world. Heart disease describes many heart conditions. Coronary artery disease is the most common of these conditions and occurs when blood vessels in your heart becomes blocked or narrowed, preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching your heart. It can cause chest pain – called angina- or even a heart attack
Symptoms of Heart Attack
Thousands of Canadians die from heart attacks every year because they don't receive medical treatment quickly enough. Learn to recognize the signs of a heart attack so you can react quickly to save a life. Warning signs can vary from person to person and they may not always be sudden or severe. Although chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women, some people will not experience chest pain at all, while others will experience only mild chest pain or discomfort. Others may experience one symptom, while some experience a combination.
© Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 2014
If you are experiencing any of these signs, you should:
CALL 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately, or have someone call for you.
Keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone at all times.
Stop all activity and sit or lie down, in whatever position is most comfortable.
If you take nitroglycerin, take your normal dosage.
If the 9-1-1 operator advises it, chew and swallow one adult tablet or two 80 mg tablets of ASA (Aspirin®), as long as you are not allergic or intolerant. Do not take other pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®) instead of Aspirin. Do not substitute Aspirin for medical care; call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number first.
Rest and wait for emergency medical personnel to arrive.
Atherosclerosis
Coronary artery disease resulting in angina, heart failure and other conditions are caused by atherosclerosis. The effect of atherosclerosis is like water through a hose. Blood flows through your arteries, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your organs. When your arteries become clogged with fatty deposits (known as plaque), they lose their elasticity and become narrow. This blocks or slows the smooth passage of blood. Plaque is a sticky, yellow substance made up of fatty substances such as cholesterol, calcium and waste products from your cells. Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive condition that may begin as early as childhood, and occur anywhere in the body but usually affects large and medium sized arteries. Risk factors for atherosclerosis include diabetes, obesity, eating a high-fat diet, inactivity and a family history of heart disease.
What Are My Risk Factors?
Risk factors are any habits, traits or conditions in a person or the environment that may increase the chances of developing a disease. Some of these risk factors are characteristics, traits or choices made by people themselves, such as the kind of foods they like to eat (diet), whether or not they smoke or how they cope with stress.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Risk factors you can’t control
Age
Gender
Family history of heart disease
Ethnicity
Personal history of heart disease
Risk factors you can do something about
diabetes
high blood cholesterol
high blood pressure
being overweight
excessive alcohol consumption
physical inactivity
smoking
stress
Complications resulting from coronary artery disease
Complications resulting from coronary artery disease include heart attack, sudden death, abnormal heart rhythm and heart failure. Heart failure is when your heart does not pump as strongly as it should so your body does not get the right amount of blood and oxygen it needs to work properly. This weakened pumping action can cause a backup of fluid in your lungs and other parts of your body (at a later date we will explore heart failure in more details).
Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease
There is no cure for Coronary artery disease (CAD), but there are many treatments, such as medications, surgery and lifestyle changes, that can slow down its progress. Your doctor may also suggest these procedures: percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty with stent or coronary artery bypass surgery.
What Can I Do?
Knowing your risks for heart disease is only the first step. The next step is doing something to reduce your risk by making heart-healthy changes.
Healthy eating help keeps your blood vessels, heart, and other organs healthy by keeping a lid on blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, helps maintain a healthy body weight, and provides a steady supply of fuel to keep you feeling energized throughout the day.
Making wise food choices doesn’t have to be difficult – even in our fast-paced, fast-food world. There are lots of simple ways to add healthy foods to your daily eating plan, and even small changes in your eating habits can add up to big health benefits for you and your family. It all starts with the same four food groups you’ll find in Canada’s Food Guide. You can download a copy of this easy easy-to-use information sheet from Health Canada’s website at healthcanada.ca/foodguide, or get a copy sent to you by calling 1-800—OCANADA (622-6232).
The number of daily servings you need from each group depends on your age, gender and activity level.
Cholesterol levels
Cholesterol levels can be measured by a simple test involving a blood sample taken from the arm. This test can analyze different types of fats in the blood and your total cholesterol levels. Measuring the levels of these different lipids (fats) helps doctors assess your risk for heart disease. To manage your health, you should know your cholesterol numbers and what they mean.
Your doctor will help establish a target level for you based on your personal risk factors, taking into account your age, total cholesterol level, smoking status, HDL-C level and systolic blood pressure.
Adding more vegetables and fruits to your diet is one way to immediately improve your health overall. Use reduced fat products whenever possible, such as skim milk, low-fat salad dressings and lower fat cheese. Use lean cuts of meat and broil, bake, steam or grill foods instead of frying them. Sodium or salt should also be reduced. Remove salt shaker from the table to avoid adding excess salt. Choose fresh and fresh frozen foods instead of canned and bottled goods. Salt is used as preservative in non-perishable items.
Avoid process foods such as deli meats, dry soup mixes, casserole mixes, smoked meat and fish, salted nuts and potato chips. When cooking, use fresh or dried herbs, lemon juice, flavored vinegar or spices such as curry, paprika and ginger instead of salt. Read your food labels. Food labels give you a snapshot of what is in the food you are eating.
Physical Activity
If scientists could pack all of the benefits of physical activity into a pill, doctors would prescribe it to each and every one of their patients. Regular exercise not only keeps the heart muscle strong and healthy, it assists with:
Reducing stress levels
Controlling blood sugar levels
Improving blood cholesterol levels
Lowering blood pressure
Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight
Improving mood
Remember to check with your doctor before starting any physical activity program. You may want to ask whether there are any activities you should avoid (strenuous weight lifting, for example), and how hard you should work at them. Listen to your body. If you are unable to manage an activity – stop, slow down and gradually build up level as well as duration of activities. And if you have had a heart condition, have had heart surgery or a heart attack ask your doctor about a cardiac rehabilitation program.
'Steps in the Right Direction'
Live life to its fullest. Be your true authentic self. Be all that God wants you to be and nothing less! Your mind and your emotions are just as important to your health as your body – after all, you need to feel good about yourself to feel truly well. In fact studies have shown that being depressed can seriously interfere with recovering from heart disease. So, just as you take care of your body’s health, it’s important to nurture your mental and I dare say your spiritual health.
Here are some suggestions:
Eat a balanced diet. Healthy foods are just as important to your brain as they are to the health of your body.
Be physically active. Physical activity tone your muscles, gives you more strength and energy and increase levels of natural mood-lifting chemicals in the body.
Get outdoors. Regular exposure to outdoor light may help you sleep more restfully and lift your spirits.
Get enough sleep. A good night’s rest nurtures both your mental and physical health.
Do activities you enjoy. Crafts, reading, building etc. – take time to do activities that spark your interest, and make you feel alive and happy. Or try a new hobby – learning a new skill is stimulating, challenging, and builds self-confidence. You might even discover a new passion.
Manage stress. Tai chi, yoga, deep-breathing exercises, meditating (meditating on God’s word will bring you that peace that past all understanding), or even just a warm relaxing bath are healthy ways to deal with stress.
Reach out to others. Ask a friend to lunch or a movie, get together with your book club, or attend a class or lecture. Getting together with other people stimulates your mind and boosts your spirit.
Volunteer your time. Donate your expertise and talent to a local charity and your local church/temple. You will help others – and feel good about yourself. More and more studies show that people who socialize with others, who volunteer and who are involved with their communities are physically and mentally healthier than those who do not.
Your Action Plan
Knowing the signs of a potential emergency and having an action plan in place may save your life or the life of someone you care about.
Find out how and where to get emergency help. Post 9-1-1 or the number for emergency services near each phone in your house.
Add the name and number of a neighbour to your emergency list
Make a copy of your medication list and keep in your wallet.
Consider purchasing a MedicAlert necklace or bracelet if you have a heart condition or other serious health concerns.
Daily pray over yourself and your loved ones, asking for God's divine health.
The health tips on this website are for informational purposes only, and they are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.
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© 2014 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Reproduced with permission of Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
