An Overview of Heart Disease

Heart disease is a very generic term that specifically refers to a diseased condition of the heart like heart failure, congenital heart disease, coronary heart disease, heart infections, dysfunctioning of the heart valves and heart arrhythmias. It is estimated that in a total population of a country, one in four people are affected with some kind of heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer disease in the USA.

Whatever the type of Heart Disease, the primary risk  factors for developing heart disease are smoking, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, genetic predisposition, menopause, obesity and hereditary. High levels of inflammation related substances, amino acids and homocysteine also pose an increased risk to develop a heart attack. This is due to these substances containing fibrinogen and C-reactive protein that facilitate increased chances of developing heart disorders.

The different types of heart disease are followed by different symptoms, though there are some common symptoms for a number of heart problems. These symptoms vary dependant on the type and severity of the heart disease. It is very crucial to recognize these symptoms and get timely help from the doctors to avoid the condition becoming too severe or frequent. Some of the common symptoms of heart disease are shortness of breath, palpitations, feeling of weakness or dizziness, increased rate of heartbeats, sweating, nausea, irregular heartbeats, heartburn, etc. However, some people face heart attacks without showing any symptoms. Such type of heart attack is referred as a “Silent MI”. It may occur among all people; however it is more frequent in diabetic patients.

Heart Disease Prevention:

We can follow some steps in order to lower the risk of heart attacks and heart diseases. An overall healthy diet is the best way to lower the risks of heart disease. You should include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet, cut down the amounts of salt, cholesterol and saturated fats to lower these risks. Exercise regularly for at least half an hour by engaging yourself in some sort of moderate level of physical activities. More importantly avoiding tobacco and alcohol is critical. These substances increase the chances of heart attack, blood pressure, and stroke.