The Rise Of Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is rapidly increasing in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, it will reach epidemic proportions in the next few years. It was considered a disease of developed countries but because of preventive measures, its incidence has reduced in these countries but in developing countries. including India, it is on the rise.
The incidence is also much less ¡n women as compared to men. It is presumed that female hormones are partly responsible for this. Also, women are usually at home, partially insulated from the outdoor worries of life. But nowadays, this disease is seen in villages and in youngsters too, those between the ages 20 to 40 years are falling victim to it.
There are several factors which contribute to this increase. Today, mental stress has increased in all strata of society and the rat race of life and the tremendously increased stwggle for existence have a role to play. These days, modern occupations and jobs involve mostly sedentary habits and irregular timings. Junk foods and fatty fast foods have altered the biochemistry of blood and lifestyte diseases like diabetes and hypertension have markedly increased these days. All these conditions heavily predispose the development of coronary heart disease.
Coronary heart disease is characterized by narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to the heart
Modern means of transport has reduced modern man’s means of physical activity and prolonged sedentary working hours leave very little amount of time for exercise and relaxation. The tensions people face today, have increased the tendency of people to smoke cigarettes increasing the chances of coronary heart disease.
Also, due to the lack of time, people are opting for easy to eat fatty rich foods increasing lipids in the blood that get deposited in the arteries of the heart leading to their narrowing. Lack of physical activity, exercise and rich food has increased incidents of obesity which again predisposes coronary heart disease.
This disease is characterized by nan-owing of arteries supplying blood to the heart leading to heart disease. When one of the arteries closes oft, a heart attack occurs leading to death. With women taking to outdoor working jobs and professions, they are exposed to similar severe mental and physical stresses life throws at men. They are also now becoming as susceptible to coronary heart diseases like men.
To reduce the incidence of this disease. the predisposing factors have to be controlled. Proper diet, regular exercise and relaxation, avoiding smoking and rationalizing stresses and strains and proper control of diabetes and hypertension is necessary.
Since the mortality rate of this disease is high, there is a great emphasis on eally treatment. Proper and timely detection, prompt initiation of treatment and precautions can help a lot in recovery.
One of the most common symptoms seen, is pain in chest on exertion called angina of effort, a pain at rest is called unstable angina. The pain can our in the chest, shoulder, arms, legs. neck, jaw, teeth and upper abdomen and it is often confused with other causes of pain.
In a large per cent of cases, there may not be other symptoms like pain, but a patient may only experience giddiness, sudden weakness, vomiting, sweating or just weakness and fainting. In some cases, there may be no symptoms at all, apart from sudden breathlessness.
Getting an early start in treatment always helps. The patient must be quickly shifted to a hospital for treatment. Some of the tests done on a patient include ECG, blood tests, cardiac monitoring, Hotter monitoring and in some cases a treadmill test (TMT) and cardiac perfusion scan (resting and post).
If a coronary angiography is needed, it can be performed but modern diagnostic techniques can often give equal or better information than a regular angiography. Non -invasive treatments are also used and are the newest inventions of modern medicine.
However, according to the seriousness of the problem, a coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery is performed. But this is not a must in every case and the patient is given the right treatment after his case ¡s properly assessed. After recovering from a heart attack, lifelong precautions need to be taken by changing one’s lifestyle, dietary habits and getting regular exercise ensuring proper cardiac rehabilitation.
Cardiac care centres with proper facilities to diagnose and treat a heart attack are needed to ensure prompt recovery. So, it would be wise to remember that, with proper preventive measures and curative treatments, this dangerous disease can be controlled to a great extent.