Heart disease is a broad term that describes several heart conditions (heart failure, heart valve disease, etc.), and often refers to the build up of fatty areas called plaques. These form in arteries, including the heart, or coronary arteries (they are called coronary arteries because they resemble a crown over the heart).
About 1 million people have a heart attack annually, and a high percentage don’t survive the initial attack. Remember Tim Russert, the Moderator of Meet the Press? I still miss him. Sadly, heart attacks are the number one cause of death in the U.S. The CDC estimates that 2008 costs for coronary heart disease will be more than 150 billion, a staggering amount for something that is largely preventable.
Heart, or coronary arteries are quite small. Picture the width of a number 2 pencil for the wider areas at the top, tapering down to a smaller size that is only about 1/8" in average thickness. With tubes about the size of an ink-pen cartridge, coronary arteries supply blood to the heart, yet they don’t have much room for error!
Here's a link to a graphic of the heart and its arteries (will open a new window): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gray492.png
Did you notice how small the arteries look? That's a reason plaque build-up is such a concern. Plaque is an area of fatty, waxy material that’s made of oxidized LDL cholesterol, immune and inflammatory cells, and eventually, calcium. Plaque is not water soluble so it doesn’t dissolve. Think oil and water. The oil stays in separate globs rather than dissolving. Eventually, plaque will grow until it narrows arteries and inhibits blood flow. When the heart gets less blood then it needs, symptoms will often occur, such as shortness of breath, chest pain/pressure, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, etc.
Critical Beat: Plaque and debris can also break loose (especially when inflammation is high), causing a clot, which can block heart arteries. The result: A heart attack, where the heart muscle is starved of blood, oxygen and nutrients. Too often, these are fatal and can occur without previous symptoms or warnings, such as chest pain (angina) or shortness of breath. See page 3 for more!
Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is for education and is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment or advice of a licensed professional.
© 2008-2010 by Steve/Beat Heart Disease
Sunday, November 30, 2008
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