Tuesday, December 28, 2010

how do we get heart disease

how do we get heart disease?
I am doing a project in school about heart disease and i need to get answers on these questions: how do you get it? how do you prevent it?And how do you get rid of it?
Heart Diseases - 8 Answers
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1 :
Eating pizza Eating hamber Going to McDonald
2 :
You can get it from bad diet, high cholesterol, worry can cause heart disease. These are just a few of the reasons.
3 :
for some its heredity for others is how they eat
4 :
By eating anything that taste good
5 :
By eating Lots of fats and Oils...it blocks the Heart from pumping the Blood through the Body so it caues Heart attack too
6 :
The first four answers did not mention smoking, the greatest cause of heart attacks in the UK. Diet, high cholesterol and fatty products all contribute.
7 :
you get heart disease by foods high in fat and a lot of it is hereditary. you prevent it by low fat diets. you treat it with medications to lower your cholesterol.
8 :
these could cause heart disease: Cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, inactive lifestyle, obesity and stress

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Friday, December 24, 2010

Am I at increased risk for coronary heart disease if I used to be overweight but no longer am

Am I at increased risk for coronary heart disease if I used to be overweight but no longer am?
Through high school up until age 19 I weighed around 300lbs. Now I am 170lbs and 23 years old (I'm a 6'0" male). My question is, do the fatty buildups and increased risk of coronary heart disease go away if you lose the weight, or was the damage already done? By dropping to 170 did I undo all the damage or only some?
Heart Diseases - 8 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Mostly Heart Diesese occurs in Fat people only so i think you are safe
2 :
damage comes, from among other things, high blood pressure and cholesterol build up,,,,, lowing both decreases your risk,,,,,,getting to a healthy weight and diet lowers both,,, at your age, i wouldnt think the damage had alot of build up time,,,,,,,,make sure and check the sodium and fat content of what you eat,,,, as its not just in how much you weigh, but also your diet and family history,,,,, have a check up at the doctor to see what condition you are in now,,,,, and a basic blood work up,,,, you could have a tendency inherited for high cholesterol,,, its best to start yearly or every other year check ups at this age anyway,,,,,, for example, i have always been thin, yet heart disease runs in my family, we have a tendency to have high cholesterol,,,,, no one knew this years ago, if i hadnt happened to have blood work to show it,,,,, i would of went years with it building up, even though i ate a mostly low fat/lowcholesterol diet,,,,,,,
3 :
You sure have done a good job by shedding wieght that much. Yes, u now have a reduced chance of getting any heart disease. Im not sure what happens to the fat already in the arteries. but just to be on the safe side, make sure u take stuff with low cholestrol.
4 :
Losing weight alone does not guarantee a lowered risk, only your doctor and tests can determine that. You could be thin and have a poor diet and no exercise and still have a problem. As stated family history doesn't change. My brother is in his mid 30s and just had a heart attack, never really overweight but our grandfather died at 39 from hrt.attk. so you always need to see a Dr. but great job losing the weight ... and continued success ...
5 :
You are young enough that the possibility of irreversible damage is extremely slim. In fact, you probably have a *better* than average chance of living a very long and healthy life because you've already been obese and obviously have no desire to return to such a condition again. You are much more likely to watch what you eat and exercise regularly. Get to your doctor for a physical and make sure they do a complete blood workup. You'll want to know your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers, as well as have a number of other important numbers checked (blood sugar, etc). Congrats, and stay healthy!
6 :
Congratulations on the weight loss. You've helped your heart out a lot by dropping the weight. However, you might have done some damage when you were overweight. Just keep your weight down, exercise, visit your doctor regularly, track your BP often, and get bloodwork done at least once a year just to be on the safe side. One thing is for sure, you've extended your lifespan by getting healthier and losing the weight. Good luck!
7 :
No, you are not, if you cut an extra 5 lbs. Regards, Dr.Qutub.
8 :
That depends, if damage has already happened, then you are at increased risk. Otherwise you aren't. Even if damage has already happened, losing weight doesn't hurt

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Can a teenager get a heart valve disease

Can a teenager get a heart valve disease?
If someone is not born with heart valve disease... can a teenager or a 12 year old develop heart valve disease?
Heart Diseases - 8 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
i'm sure they can
2 :
yes.
3 :
It's rare, but it can. It would be a genetic thing with late-ish onset, though.
4 :
yeah, i had it when i was 6....so im sure it can happen when you are in your teen years.
5 :
If a teenager is not born with vavular disease, he/she can develop valve defect in one of the following ways: 1) Rhuematic Heart Disease, the commonest cause: Rheumatic heart disease is a complication of rheumatic fever and usually occurs after attacks of rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever causes rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic fever results from an untreated strep throat. Rheumatic fever can damage the heart valves. Some of the most common symptoms of rheumatic heart disease are: breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations, chest pain, and fainting attacks. Treatment of rheumatic heart disease may include medication and surgery. Medication will aim to avoid overexertion. Surgery may be needed to replace the damaged valve(s). 2) Infecions, viral/bacterial, of heart can cause valve problems as complication. Other causes: # Systemic lupus erythmatosis (SLE). SLE and other immune diseases can affect the aortic and mitral valves. # Carcinoid syndrome. Tumors in the digestive tract that spread to the liver or lymph nodes can affect the tricuspid and pulmonary valves. # Metabolic disorders. Relatively uncommon diseases, such as Fabry disease and hyperlipidemia, can affect the heart valves. # Diet medicines. The use of fenfluramine and phentermine ("fen-phen") has sometimes been linked to heart valve problems. These problems typically stabilize or improve after the medicine is stopped. # Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy to the chest area can cause heart valve disease. This therapy is used to treat cancer. Heart valve disease due to radiation therapy may not cause symptoms for as many as 20 years after the therapy ends.
6 :
If a teen has heart valve disease, is most likely something they where born with, but it can go undiagnosed till the are teens. I was born with aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, bicuspid aortic valve(all are valve disease) and i also have an enlarged aorta. Im 16 years old. I was born with the bicuspid aortic valve and aortic stenosis, and that caused me to develop aortic regurgitation when i was 10, and an enlarged aorta at 14. In some cases a teen can develop it with out being born with it, its uncommon but it can happen.
7 :
Yes... Quite rare, though.
8 :
Yes, anyone can have heart valve disease. It is unlikely though. Usually if a 12 year old has an abnormal heart valve, then it is secondary to a congenital heart defect (something they were born with.) Infection of the heart valve (endocarditis) can occur in any age group and lead to an abnormality in the function of the valve involved. Rheumatic heart disease is also possible, but not common in the developed world since the regular use of antibiotics. Good luck

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Does being on a "Beta Blocker" really reduce the risk of heart disease

Does being on a "Beta Blocker" really reduce the risk of heart disease?
I never really understood how being on a Beta Blocker is good for the heart, and how it would prevent heart disease. Does it do more than just "Slow down" your heart rate, thats all I thought it acually did.
Medicine - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Your heart's oxygenation is based on supply and demand. If the supply is limited (by coronary artery disease) and cannot meet the heart's oxygen demands, the heart becomes ischemic. Prolonged ischemia leads to infarction = heart attack. Slowing the heart decreases its oxygen demand, and reduces the chance of ischemia.
2 :
Good work doc....you know what is next? Here comes the evidence... :) "Adherence to medication with statins, and to a lesser extent, with beta-blockers, is linked to a reduced mortality during the 3-4 years following an infarct."
3 :
It depends on your genetic makeup. If you family has a history of heart disease, it would aid somewhat, but it doesn't slow the heart it also affects the blood pressure and cholesterol build-up. Also there are different types of beta blocker. If you are concerned I would consult a cardiologist.
4 :
A Beta Blocker reduces available adrenaline, thus lowering blood pressure, thus reducing the risks of hypertension including developing CHF, Stroke, embalism, etc. Some thought is beta blockers are a great preventative for heart disease, although ACE inhibitors are used more commonly for heart protection. Beta Blockers are known to slow you down. Might feel tired, or tire easy during physical activity. Also gets rid of "shakes" experienced by older people during physical activity.
5 :
They have both negative chronotropic activity (slow the rate) and negative inotropic activity (lessen the force of contractility), and both actions decrease myocardial oxygen demand, so a lesser degree of blood flow through the coronary arteries supplying oxygen to the myocardium is tolerated. They also have antiarrhythmic activity, and rhythm disturbances are the major cause of death in heart disease. There were papers published in Scandinavia especially, as well as other places in western Europe, back in the 1970's showing remarkable decreases in mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease and also in patients with congestive heart failure. At that time a US physician prescribing beta blockers to a heart failure patient was begging for a lawsuit. It took overwhelming evidence (and about fifteen years) for us in the states to overcome our fear of lawyers and come around on the use of beta blockers.
6 :
Beta blockers lower the blood pressure and the heart rate. Anything that reduces the load on a diseased heat and lowers blood pressure for somone with hypertension reduces the risk of sudden death. Reducing the risk of heart disease has to happen long before a patient is prescribed beta blockers.
7 :
Data to support the value of beta blockers as cardioprotective agents in stable and unstable angina are inferred and based in large part on the results of post-MI studies. Finally, in high-risk surgical patients, beta blockers seem to be cardioprotective when given pre-operatively . A new use of beta blocker is during coronary angioplasty (PCI). In this setting, the drug is given intra-coronary at relatively high doses to avoid systemic adverse effects, hypotension, and bradycardia. In a recent prospective randomized trial, such an approach markedly decrease post-PCI myocardial infarction and improved short-term clinical outcome. Beta blockers reduce the oxygen demand of myocardium . Thus they protect the ischemic heart whose myocardial oxygen supply is compromised

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Sunday, December 12, 2010

What are the risk factors for heart disease

What are the risk factors for heart disease?
Heart problems run in my family, and i often feel shortness of breath...and my heart will beat fast..then slow. any help would be great,thanks!
Heart Diseases - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Risk factors for heart problems are the same as for diabetes... Overweight, lack of exercise, and poor diet. (not to mention genetics). If you want to feel safe, eat a healthy low fat, calorie conscious diet, keep your weight down, and exercise regularly. A brisk walk for 20 to 30 minutes a day works wonders. And, above all, don't worry about it. Worry induced anxiety won't kill you, but it will make you think you're dying.
2 :
Following is a pretty comprehensive list of risk factors for heart disease: High blood pressure Diabetes Elevated fasting glucose (not in diabetes range) Elevated triglycerides or LDL (bad) cholesterol Low HDL (good) cholesterol Elevated CRP (C-reactive protein) level Overweight / Obese Sedentary Smoker High stress level Family history of heart attacks or stroke Age >65 Male sex Post-menopausal Hope this helps!
3 :
Cut down on animal fat like cheese, eggs and meat.
4 :
Early death among close relatives, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, tachycardia, ventricular arrhythmia, to name a few

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

What are the Symptoms of heart disease

What are the Symptoms of heart disease ?
How should you feel when you have heart disease what are the signs can a doctor confuse it with same symptoms as a panic attack ?? The reason I am asking i've been to the ER probably 3 times in 2 months im 24 years old and have done 3 EKG and blood test it was showing normal but the shortness of breath and chest pains palpitations worry me because they dont seam to go away \ i cant afford to go to a cardiologist no insurance any suggestions !!
Heart Diseases - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
At this age you are unlikely to have any heart problem. Any congenital heart problem would have been diagnosed much earlier. Your symptoms can also be caused by anxiety. However you should discuss your doubts with a doctor. It is not easy to make a diagnosis without examining.
2 :
There are some common symptoms of heart disease like: Shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat or change in heart rate; a sense of sudden loss of appetite or fullness; sleeps patterns Change; Seemingly increasing fatigue; decrease in urination; Confusion or onset of restlessness, Severe dizziness and fear or feeling of dread; Nausea, profuse sweating, and rapid breathing; Sudden sharp pain in the chest, left arm, and jaw line. Preventive medicine and healthy life style can prevent heart disease

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Saturday, December 4, 2010

Can someone please answer my questions on heart valve disease

Can someone please answer my questions on heart valve disease?
I know that a symptom is shortness of breath (especially with excersise) but can you have shortness of breath just when sitting still and resting and not with excersise?? Can the shortness of breath be on and off?? SO maybe you will feel short of breath for a few days then for a few days, weeks or months you will feel fine?? Will you have more then one symptom with heart valve disease?? And will a doctor hear a murmur if you have it??
Heart Diseases - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Well if you have heart failure either right or left, you would have shortness of breath. Shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, edema, orthopenea, paraoxysmal nocturnal dyspnea... Also, heart failure can start with a valve problem that progressively leads to hypertrophy of a ventrical, them ischemia of the muscle etc... If you have pulmonary edema, you'll hear a crackling sound when you breath it will be worse when you sit down cause not as much is distributed lower in you legs, and thus, more is in ur lungs. This will be even worse if you lie down flat. Off and on? I'm not sure why that would happen... go see a doctor... Yes you can have symptoms when at rest... it depends on how bad it is. You'll prob want to treat it with diuretics, inotropes and calcuim blockers, and maybe reduce ur body weight to ease the strain on your heart...
2 :
How did you arrive that you have a heart valve disease? Some persons have congenital defects such as bicuspid aortic valve and septal defects (a hole in the heart) such as atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect and detected during adolescent stage. Rheumatic fever during childhood may cause endocarditis, mitral or aortic stenosis, mitral or aortic regurgitation/ insufficiency. In such cases, the doctor will hear a heart murmur through a stethoscope. ECG and Echocardiograhy may reveal the heart problems. You may undergo complete heart check-up including cardiac stress test, Echocardiography, etc.
3 :
Depending on the degree of the condition, the person might only have shortness of breath during exercising. It also depends on what kind of valve defect they have. There could also be other symptoms, but without knowing which valve is affected, and how, I can't say what else could be expected. A doctor should definitely be able to hear a murmur, and would then send the patient to a cardiac specialist.
4 :
If you have shortness of breath from an underlying heart valvular disease, then you would expect the shortness of breath to develop with exertion. As the disease worsens, then symptoms could occur also at rest. If you have symptoms at rest, then you would definitely have symptoms with exertion. Shortness of breath related to a heart valve disease is not usually intermittent. It tends to be reproducible with the same activity and may worsen with time and develop with less activity. Shortness of breath from heart valve disease does not disappear for weeks or days and this suggests an alternative diagnosis like asthma. I guess it is possible to have exacerbations of symptoms and improvement. The symptoms produced by heart valve disease depend on which valve is involved. Valve disease on the left side of the heart (aortic, mitral valves) is classically associated with shortness of breath. Right sided heart valve lesions should not produce shortness of breath and are more likely to cause swelling in the lower legs. Chest pain can occur with heart valve lesions, especially aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve). Palpitations and abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation can also occur with heart valve disease. Passing out (syncope) is classic for aortic stenosis, but can occur with other types of heart valve abnormalities. If you have a significant heart valve lesion, then your doctor should hear a murmur on exam. The loudness of the murmur does not always correlate with the severity of the valvular lesion. I hope this helps you. Good luck

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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

What are the chances of heart disease given these factors

What are the chances of heart disease given these factors?
Age 19, two pregnancies with preeclampsia (but no other complications and normal deliveries) during which she gained a hundred pounds (now 100 overweight), father had first heart attack at 32 and a bypass at 38 (but was overweight and a heavy smoker), grandmother died of a massive heart failure at 44, grandfather had heart attack and bypass at 55; she is exposed to second hand smoke, but always has good BP's (110/60, avg.). Her pulse tends to run a little fast, but otherwise good. She's under extreme stress and complaining of chest and neck "pressure" (like a choking sensation); I think it's just stress, but want second opinions. Her primary care doctor agrees, but that's without any tests, just basic checkups. Opinions? Thanks!
Heart Diseases - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Probably is stress ,but it is stress that causes the heart attack in the first place so get checked out with that history.
2 :
"Just stress"? Stress is a major risk factor with that personal and family history. She's a time bomb and needs to be permanently followed by a specialist.
3 :
Yeah, it could be the stress of worrying about it, along with anything else that's stressing her out in her life. I remember my doctor telling me once how anxiety/stress problems most commonly show up as neck pains first. Although stress can lead to heart problems in the future. She should probably start eating right and exercising too, obesity is also opening the door to heart problems! I have heart problems in my family as well, stroke, heart attack, along with other things. I had one child and gained 85 lbs, I know where she's coming from! But, I started exercising and making healthier food choices about three months ago and now the weight is starting to come off. If she needs some encouragement tell her to email me!
4 :
yeah, she is absolutely at risk for heart disease. especially being over weight and having a family history of heart disease. she needs to work on losing some weight. just exercise, watch portion sizes, cut down on junk food and soda, drink lots of water. i am in the middle of losing weight.
5 :
The chances are increased for 2 of the reasons you stated. 1) the person's father had problems's at a VERY young age. That would tell me she has the genetics for problems. 2) being overweight is a factor that can lead to Heart problems, diabetes, stroke, etc.. Seeing that the BP is good, stress sounds like the most logical reason for the increased HR and neck & chest pressure. The best thing this person has going for her is her age. Because she is young she has not yet formed long term bad habits. The best thing she and anyone can do for themselves is diet and exercise. Not a FAD or crash diet. Just a normal long term eat fruits and veggies and limit the junk food. It is the best thing for her and her kids to come. Her habits will mold theirs. As far a exercise there is no need for going crazy at a gym or running a marathon. Just walk 3-5 times a week for 20-30 mins. That will be a great experience for the mom and kids. My dad had some chest pressure and they did all the tests in the world. He and my mom would go walking for exercise after breakfast or dinner. It turns out that for some reason he has the problem only when he walks shortly after eating. No he does it before or long after and he has been fine.
6 :
I'll keep this short and just give you the main points. First of all with her weight I would want to test for type 2 diabetes. Also what was birth weight of babies? If either were about 9 lbs or greater that also increases her Chance of getting diabetes. Then you add the First degree Relatives suffering cardiovascular problems so early in life means you have a very Strong genetic link to having heart disease yourself. I know she is only 19, but with all her Risk factors she should have her bad cholesterol (LDL) under 100! We also are finding new evidence in current studies that show cardiovascular benefits are ever better when LDL is under 70. Also blood Pressure is very important. Her blood pressure should be as close as possible to 115/75. If her BP is above 140/90 then She has added risk of heart disease. If diabetes, BP, and Cholesterol aren't controlled than many years could be taken from her life.
7 :
It looks like she needs a thorough examination. I'm not an MD, but I'm a researcher in the cardiovascular area, and I find this a bit worrying. She should lose weight urgently, and have herself tested for, among others, pulmonary hypertension. Does she have wheezing and shortness of breath? To be honest, given her ancestry, she really needs to lose weight and eat healthy and do all she can to avoid stressing her heart.

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