Chapter 10 REDUCING YOUR RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Cardiovascular Disease CVD Broadly encompasses a range of diseases of the heart and blood vessels Induces other potentially devastating diseases like heart attack or stroke 9 15 of men and women under the age of 40 have some form of CVD After about age 40 the rate climbs to 40 Among all age groups in America about 1 in 3 people have CVD in some form Why Worry About CVD both men and women CVD is America s biggest killer more than any other single cause of death for CVD reduces quality of life causing chest pain shortness of breath internal organ damage and in the form of hypertension cognitive decline CVD can begin in adolescence or childhood from waxy buildup in vessels caused by poor diet lack of exercise high body mass index or early smoking Five Leading Causes of Death in the U S Table 10 1 Heart disease stroke 727 210 Cancer 568 668 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 137 082 Accidents unintentional injuries 117 176 Alzheimer s disease 78 889 CVD Death Rates by State Figure VIDEO Protein blood test helps to look at the inflammatory spots because inflammation can lead to blocked arteries This is a tool but it won t tell us everything How Cardiovascular Disease Affects the Body CVD damages the heart and blood vessels affecting blood oxidation and carbon dioxide waste removal Majority can be treated with medications or other surgeries etc CVD takes many forms including can affect people of all ages o Hypertension sustained high blood pressure the most common form of cardiovascular disease About 1 3 of all Americans have hypertension A risk factor for other forms of cardiovascular diseases Too much sodium can actually be the single contributor to hypertension Genetics obesity old age and sleep apnea can cause hypertension o Atherosclerosis describes a thickening and hardening of the arteries Plaque contains fatty and waxy compounds cholesterol cellular waste products calcium and natural blood clotting agents o Coronary Heart Disease Atherosclerosis the buildup of plaque deposits in the main arteries that supply oxygen and other materials to the heart muscle Also called coronary artery disease CAD A heart attack also called a Myocardial Infarction MI involves an area of the heart that suffers permanent damage after its normal blood supply has been blocked The blockage can be caused by a blood clot in a coronary artery or by atherosclerotic narrowing The coronary artery s job is to supply oxygen blood to the heart and when there is a build up of plaque it is considered the Coronary Artery Disease CAD The tissue will die without oxygen and blood and it cannot regenerate muscle Coronary Heart Disease is more common o Angina Pectoris chest pain due to ischemia damaging reduction in the blood and therefore the oxygen supply to a region of the heart brain or other organ or reduction in blood flow to the heart muscle and surrounding tissues It s a warning sign to let people know that something is not right o Arrhythmia irregular heartbeat can involve abnormally fast or slow heartbeat or the disorganized sporadic beat of fibrillation which causes inefficient pumping of blood o Congestive Heart Failure CHF Heart is failing to contract and beat Heart muscle damage Not curable and typically will die from complications from CHF o Congenital Heart Disease heart disease present at birth Can be caused from mother during birth or during pregnancy o Stroke a sudden loss of function in a region of the brain caused by blockage in or rupture of a blood vessel leading to oxygen deprivation cell damage or death When damage occurs it is irreversible a Healthy artery Normal blood flow b Narrowed artery Atherosclerotic plaque Restricted blood flow Coronary heart disease including heart attack 16 3 million Hypertension 76 4 million Angina pectoris 9 0 million Arrhythmia 2 2 million Congestive heart failure 5 7 million Congenital cardiovascular defects Eight defects per 1 000 live births Stroke 7 0 million 795 000 new or recurrent cases of stroke each year Classification Systolic Reading Diastolic Reading Blood Pressure Readings Table 10 3 Normal Less than 120 Less than 80 Prehypertension 120 139 80 89 Hypertension o Stage 1 140 159 90 99 o Stage 2 160 or higher 100 or higher CVD Risk Factors You Can Control Tobacco Use Hypertension help lower blood pressure as can managing stress and taking certain prescription Reducing tobacco use can reduce your risk of CVD Reducing dietary sodium blood fats and excess weight can drugs which can all together reduce your risk of CVD High Levels of Blood Fats overweight people are more likely to develop hear Overweight and Obesity disease and stroke even if they have no other CVD risk factors Losing even 5 10 pounds can make a significant difference to CVD risk Physical Inactivity Elevating the heart rate and blood flow through moderate to vigorous activity benefits the heart muscle and helps prevent plaque deposits on artery walls Even modest levels of low intensity physical activity walking gardening housework dancing are beneficial if done regularly and over the long term Diabetes Mellitus blood sugar levels are well controlled When uncontrolled the risks are even higher diabetes significantly increases one s risk for CVD even if At least 65 of people with diabetes mellitus die from some form of CVD refers to a cluster of obesity related risk factors Metabolic Syndrome associated with CVD and type 2 diabetes Stress your body s stress response can cause blood pressure to rise and can trigger blood clotting and heart rhythm abnormalities Stress can also foster habits that promote CVD such as overeating or smoking Poor Nutrition too much saturated fat salt and refined carbohydrates and too little fiber and too few fruits and vegetables all heighten risk while improved nutrition lowers risk Excessive Alcohol Use moderate amounts of alcohol may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease however excessive alcohol consumption can raise blood triglycerides trigger arrhythmias raise blood pressure promote obesity and contribute to heart failure and strokes Stimulant drugs can also trigger strokes LDL Total and HDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides mg dL Levels for Adults Table 10 4 LDL Cholesterol Less than 100 Optimal 100 129 Near optimal above optimal 130 159 Borderline high 160 189 High 190 Very high Total Cholesterol Less than 200 Desirable 200 239 Borderline high 240 High HDL Cholesterol Less than 40 Low 60 Desirable