Cardiovascular Disease..Prevention and Treatment

​What are cardiovascular diseases?

A cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels 

Include the following:

• Coronary heart disease - diseases that affect the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle.

• Cerebrovascular disease - diseases of the vessels that supply the brain.
• Peripheral arterial disease - diseases of the blood vessels that supply the arms and legs.
• rheumatic heart disease - damage to the heart muscle and heart valves; Rheumatic fever caused by streptococcus bacteria.
• Congenital heart disease - abnormalities of the heart that are observed at birth.
• Pulmonary embolism - blood clots that appear in the veins of the legs and that can travel to the heart and lungs.

Heart attacks and strokes are serious illnesses and are caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or brain. The most common cause of blockage is the formation of fatty deposits in the inner walls of the vessels that supply the heart or brain. Strokes can also occur from bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain or from blood clots.

What are the risk factors that may lead to cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease..prevention and treatment

The most important behavioral risk factors for heart disease and stroke are:

• An unhealthy diet.

• Lack of physical activity.

• smoking.

• alcohol abuse;

• Hypertension.

• diabetes mellitus;

• high fat;

• Excessive weight gain.

What are the common symptoms of cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease..prevention and treatment

There are often no symptoms that warn of cardiovascular disease. A heart attack or stroke may be the first warning of these diseases.

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest.

• Pain or discomfort in the left shoulder, elbows, jaw, or back.
• The patient may have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• nausea.
• dizziness or fainting;
• sweating.
• Symptoms experienced by women in particular include shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Symptoms of a stroke are as follows:

• Sudden weakness in the face, arm, or leg, often on one side of the body.
• Numbness in the face, arm, or leg, specifically on one side of the body.
• Difficulty speaking or understanding the words of others.
• Difficulty seeing in one or both eyes.
• Difficulty walking, dizziness, or loss of balance.
• Difficulty walking, dizziness, or loss of balance.
• Severe headache for no apparent reason.
• Fainting or losing consciousness.

Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease include:

Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease include:

•  shortness of breath
•  fatigue
•  irregular heartbeat
•  pain in the center of the chest and fainting

 Symptoms of rheumatic fever include: 

• fever
• joint pain and swelling
• nausea
• stomach pain
• vomiting

Protection:

Cardiovascular disease..prevention and treatment

Preventing cardiovascular disease is by following a healthy behavior, through:

1. Quit Smoking.
2. Not using alcohol.
3. Maintain a healthy diet that includes vegetables and fruits and avoid large amounts of salt and fat.
4. Do regular physical activity.
5. Avoid high blood sugar, high blood pressure and increased blood fats.

For secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people who already have it, including diabetes mellitus, treatment with the following drugs is required:

• aspirin.
• Beta blockers.
• Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.
• statins.

Cardiovascular disease treatment:

Includes treatment of heart disease : 

1. Pharmacological treatment.
2. Surgical treatment, including:
3. Coronary artery bypass grafting.
4. Vascular catheterization.
5. Replace valves.
6. Heart transplant from a donor.
7. Implantation of an artificial heart.