Information on Heart Attack
Heart attack occurs when the blood supply to the heart muscle itself is severely reduced or stopped. Such occurrence is when one of the arteries that supplies blood to the heart is blocked completely by an obstruction due to combination of fat or cholesterol deposit or a blood clot. The build up of fat in blood vessels over a period of time is called `atherosclerosis’. It is a damage or death of an area of the
heart mostly resulting from a complete stoppage of blood supply to that area. If the blood supply is cut off severely for a long time, muscle cell suffer irreversible injury and dies. Disability and death can result depending on how much heart muscle is damaged.
The major contributing and other risk factors in
heart disease can be grouped into 2 categories i.e., modifiable risk factors and non-modifiable risk factors.
Modifiable risk factors are:-
- Tobacco consumption
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Physical inactivity
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity and
- Psychological stress.
Non-Modifiable risk factors are: -
Age
Gender
Family history.
Smoker’s risk of
heart attack is more than twice that of non-smokers. Cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor for sudden cardiac death. Smokers have 2 to 4 times risk of non-smokers. Chronic exposure to environment tobacco smoke may also increase the risk of heart disease.
High blood cholesterol level also increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
The person’s cholesterol level is also affected by age, sex, heredity and diet. High blood pressure increases heart’s work load. It also increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, it increases the risk of
heart attack and stroke several times. Lack of physical activity is a risk factory. Regular exercise plays a significant role in preventing heart disease. Even modest level low intensity physical activity is beneficial, if done regularly and for a long term. Exercise can help control cholesterol, diabetes and obesity as well as help to lower blood pressure. Diabetes severely enhances the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. More than 80% of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessels disease. People who have an excessive accumulation of body fat are more likely to develop disease and stroke even if they have not other risk factors. Obesity is unhealthy because excess weight increases the strain on the heart. Men have a great risk of heart attack than women.
Symptoms of heart attack are pain in the chest lasting more than a few minutes. The pain spreads to shoulders, neck or arms, chest discomfort, headedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath. Not all these signs occur in every attack. Sometime they go away and return. If you notice one or more of these signs in another person, don’t wait. Call your emergency medical service medical service and get the person to a hospital right away. Keep a list of emergency rescue service numbers. In case of a suspect heart attack, time is most important. With every passing minute, the heart may get irreversibly damaged.
Daily physical activity reduces the risk of
heart disease, keeps weight under control, improves body cholesterol levels, prevents and manages high blood pressure, prevents bone loss, manages stress and releases tension, boosts energy level and improves self image, increases strength and physical stamina, provides a way to share activity with family and friends and helps delay age related diseases and maintain quality of life and independence longer.
For most healthy people, to achieve benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, performing any vigorous activity for at least 3-4 days each week at 50-75 percent of maximum heart rate (target heart rate) is required. Moderate physical activity for 30 minutes daily provides some benefits. Physical activity need not be strenuous to bring health benefits. What is important is to make it part of regular routine. What is essential is that the physical activity is performed at a sufficient pace and frequency that ‘training effect’ is imported to circulatory system and heart. For such physically trained person if heart attacks occur, then it is tolerated better.
