We are all aware that heart disease is a major killer in the

We are all aware that heart disease is a major killer in the United States, report on one of the disorders that falls in this category. PICK ONE THAT LESS KNOWN if possible

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Heart disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics and whites. They are 23.5% of all deaths in the USA today are caused by heart disease.

Heart disease is an umbrella term for any type of disorder that affects the heart. Heart disease means that same as cardiac disease but not cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease refers to the disorders of the blood vessels, structural problems, blood clots and heart, while heart disease refers to just the heart.

According the WHO and CDC heart disease is the leading cause of death in UK, USA, Canada and Australia. The number of US adults diagnosed with heart disease stands at 26.6 million.

Some of the most examples of heart diseases are arrhythmia (tachycardia, bradycardia), congenital heart disease, Coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, dilated cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, heart failure, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral regurgitation, mitral valve prolapse and pulmonary stenosis.

The classic signs and symptoms of heart disease that include high blood pressure, chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and irregular heartbeat. Some may have signs and symptoms of indigestion and exercise intolerance where they cannot perform the actions normally.

They are many risk factors associated with the cause of heart diseases. Some risk factors such as family history, ethnicity and age cannot be changed. Simply getting old is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; risk of stroke doubles every decade after age 55. Other risk factors that can be treated or changed include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, unhealthy diets, uncontrolled stress and anger, and chronic alcohol use.

Tests to diagnose the heart disease include blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), stress testing, chest X ray, coronary angiography and cardiac catheterization and echocardiography.

Myocardial Infarction

Myocardial infarction is commonly known as heart attack which occurs when blood flow stops to a part of the heart causing damage or discomfort to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain which may travel into shoulder, arm, back neck or jaw. The discomfort may occasionally feel like heartburn.

The other symptoms included shortness of breath, nausea, tiredness, cold sweat and feeling faint.

The most common cause of MI is a blood clot (thrombosis) that forms the inside a coronary artery or one of its branches. This blocks the blood flow to the heart. The blood clot causes the heart attack usually forms at the site of rupture of an atherosclerotic, cholesterol plaque on the inner wall of a coronary artery.

The heart is mainly made up of special muscle myocardium and pumps blood into blood vessels (arteries) which take the blood to every part of the body. The main coronary arteries branch off from the aorta. The aorta is the large artery which takes oxygen-rich blood from the heart chambers to the body. The main coronary arteries divided into smaller branches which take blood to all parts of the body.

If we have heart attack, a coronary artery or one its smaller branches blocked suddenly. The part of the heart muscle supplied by this artery loses its blood (and oxygen) supply if the vessel is blocked. This part of heart muscle is risk of dying unless the blockage is quickly removed. The damaged heart muscle is said to be infarcted.

If main coronary artery is blocked, a large part of heart muscle is affected. If smaller branch is blocked, a smaller part is affected. After a heart attack, if part of a heart muscle is died and it is replaced by a scar tissue over the following weeks.

Inflammation of coronary arteries, wound on the heart, blood clots forming anywhere in the artery, complications from heart surgery, and taking cocaine are the some uncommon causes of myocardial infarction.

Making life style changes is a proven method to keep heart disease away and will certainly improve our health. Some risk factors are related to other risk factors. So, making changes in one area can help in others.

Smokers have more than twice the chance of having a heart attack as non-smokers. Quit smoking is very important to keep heart diseases away.

A diet low in cholesterol, saturated and trans fatty acids, and simple sugars will help us to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the chance of having heart disease.

Regular exercises, especially aerobic exercise, are one the best things help to cut the chances of getting heart disease. Regular exercises will also helps lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. It also good for blood pressure, cholesterols, weight, energy level and mood, too.