Heart beats 100,000 times a day pumping blood veins to heart and lungs and distributing back to body through arteries.

Risk factors are conditions which lead to heart diseases. The more risk factors, the higher chance of acquiring heart problems.

Risk factors which cannot be controlled

• Gender
• Age
• Hereditary

Risk factors that can be controlled

• Stress
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Blood cholesterol levels
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Alcohol

Which are common heart diseases?

Heart disease are number of abnormal conditions affecting hear and blood vessels.

Coronary heart disease: caused by accumulation of atheromatous within walls of arteries.

Cardiovascular disease: disease of veins and arteries linking heart to body parts. It is caused due to hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hyperhomocysteinemia.

Angina: is squeezing chest pain when heart doesn’t get enough blood.

Congenital heart disease: refers to diseases caused by genetic factors.

Hypertensive heart disease: caused due to high blood pressure.

Valvular heart disease: disease involving valves of heart.

Inflammatory heart disease: refers to inflammation of heart muscles and tissues.

Congestive heart failure: results from inability of heart to pump sufficient amount of blood throughout the body.

High blood pressure: it leads to strokes, attacks and heart failures due to elevated blood pressure.

Heart attack: refers to interrupted blood supply to part of heart.

Ischaemic heart disease: refers to reduced blood supply to heart.

SYMPTOMS OF HEART PROBLEMS

• Symptoms are evidences of disease
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Pain spreading from chest to arm, neck or jaw
• Chest discomfort with sweating
• Depression
• Menopause in women
• Abnormal heartbeats
• Anxiety
• Trouble sleeping
• Pain in centre of chest
• Upset stomach
• Tiredness
• Burning in chest

PREVENTION

• Healthy diet (low in fat and cholesterol, high fiber, soy, fish)
• Regular exercise (swimming, brisk walking, bicycling, aerobic dancing)
• Reduce weight
• Quit smoking
• Avoid alcohol
• Proper medication
• Avoid stress
• Limited intake of salt
• Manage diabetes
• Lower high blood pressure

TREATMENT

Gene therapy: shows promising results for patients with angina. It adds years to patient’s life.

Angiography: takes picture of inside of heart. It allows doctor to check if blood vessel is narrowed or blocked.

Cardiac surgery: effective method to manage blockage of heart to heart muscles.

Coronary bypass surgery: procedure to divert blood around blocked arteries in heart.

Balloon mitral valvuloplasty: utilizes a soft thin tube instead of open heart surgery.

Thrombolytic therapy: uses STEMI drug for treatment

Percutaneous coronary intervention: involves opening of arteries and treating in short time.

Artery bypass surgery: less common method involves replacement of ruptured muscle.

Beta blocker therapy, antiplatelet drug therapy, statin therapy, ACE inhibitor therapy, LV reduction therapy and many other therapies and surgeries are done to save human life.