Heart disease or cardiovascular diseases is the class of diseases that involve the heart The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek καρδιά, kardia, for "heart." or blood vessels The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from (arteries Arteries are red blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries and veins In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood to the heart. Veins differ from arteries in structure and function; for example, arteries are more).^[1] While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc. to and from cells in the body to help fight diseases and help stabilize body temperature and pH to maintain homeostasis (as used in MeSH C14 Medical Subject Headings is a comprehensive controlled vocabulary for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences; it can also serve as a thesaurus that facilitates searching. Created and updated by the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), it is used by the MEDLINE/PubMed article database and by NLM's), it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol. It is a syndrome affecting arterial blood vessels, a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part due to the accumulation of macrophage white blood cells and promoted by low-density (arterial disease). These conditions have similar causes, mechanisms, and treatments. In practice, cardiovascular disease is treated by cardiologists Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart. The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology. Physicians specializing in this field of medicine are called cardiologists. Cardiologists should not be confused with, thoracic surgeons Thoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax . Generally treatment of conditions of the lungs, chest wall, and diaphragm, vascular surgeons Vascular surgery is a specialty of surgery in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries and veins, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures, and surgical reconstruction. The specialty evolved from general and cardiac surgery. Early pioneers of the field include Russian surgeon Nikolai Korotkov, noted for, neurologists Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue, such as muscle. The corresponding surgical specialty, and interventional radiologists Interventional Radiology is a subspecialty of radiology in which minimally invasive procedures are performed using image guidance. Some of these procedures are done for purely diagnostic purposes (e.g., angiogram), while others are done for treatment purposes (e.g., angioplasty). Images are used to direct these procedures, which are usually done, depending on the organ system that is being treated. There is considerable overlap in the specialties, and it is common for certain procedures to be performed by different types of specialists in the same hospital.

Most countries face high and increasing rates of cardiovascular disease. Each year, heart disease Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.[verification needed] kills more Americans than cancer.^[2]. A large histological study (PDAY) showed vascular injury accumulates from adolescence, making primary prevention efforts necessary from childhood.^[3][4]

By the time that heart problems are detected, the underlying cause (atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol. It is a syndrome affecting arterial blood vessels, a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part due to the accumulation of macrophage white blood cells and promoted by low-density) is usually quite advanced, having progressed for decades. There is therefore increased emphasis on preventing atherosclerosis by modifying risk factors, such as healthy eating A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic health risks such as: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, exercise Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness. It is performed for various reasons. These include strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance and for enjoyment. Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune and avoidance of smoking Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the vapors either tasted or inhaled. The practice began as early as 5000–3000 BC. Many civilizations burnt incense during religious rituals, which was later adopted for pleasure or as a social tool. Tobacco was introduced to the Old World in the late 1500s where it followed common trade.

Causes

In his book "The Heart Healthy Program", the cardiologist Dr Richard M. Fleming has identified several key dietary factors that can lower the risk of heart disease, including:

• Lowering of LDL cholesterol by reducing saturated fat intake.
• Lowering of Triglyceride levels by reducing consumption of sugary and processed foods.
• Reduction of Homocysteine levels by supplementation with Vitamins B6 and B12, and folic acid.
• Increased antioxidant activity by higher consumption of fruits and vegetables.
• Lowering of fibrinogen and growth factors by cutting back on foods such as red meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs.

Pathophysiology

Population based studies in the youth show that the precursors of heart disease start in adolescence. The process of atherosclerosis evolves over decades, and begins as early as childhood. The Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth Study demonstrated that intimal lesions appear in all the aortas and more than half of the right coronary arteries of youths aged 7–9 years. However, most adolescents are more concerned about other risks such as HIV, accidents, and cancer than cardiovascular disease.^[5] This is extremely important considering that 1 in 3 people will die from complications attributable to atherosclerosis. In order to stem the tide of cardiovascular disease, primary prevention is needed. Primary prevention starts with education and awareness that cardiovascular disease poses the greatest threat and measures to prevent or reverse this disease must be taken

Diagnosis

Associated diagnostic markers

• Low-density lipoprotein LDL-density lipoprotein is one of the five major groups of lipoproteins (chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, HDL, LDL) that enable lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the water-based bloodstream. Medically, estimates of cholesterol content carried by LDL particles are used as part of a cholesterol blood test; direct LDL
• Lipoprotein(a) Lipoprotein (also called Lp(a)) is a lipoprotein subclass. Studies have identified Lp(a) as a putative risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke
• Apolipoprotein A1 Apolipoprotein A-I is a protein that in humans is encoded by the APOA1 gene. It has a specific role in lipid metabolism
• Apolipoprotein Bho Apolipoprotein B is the primary apolipoprotein of low-density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad cholesterol"), which is responsible for carrying cholesterol to tissues. While it is unclear exactly what functional role APOB plays in LDL, it is the primary apolipoprotein component and is absolutely required for its formation. What is clear is that

Screening

Some biomarkers In medicine, a biomarker is a term often used to refer to a protein measured in blood whose concentration reflects the severity or presence of some disease state. More generally a biomarker is anything that can be used as an indicator of a particular disease state or some other biological state of an organism are thought to offer a more detailed risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the clinical value of these biomarkers is questionable.^[6] Currently, biomarkers which may reflect a higher risk of cardiovascular disease include:

• Higher fibrinogen Fibrin is a fibrous protein involved in the clotting of blood, and is non globular. It is a fibrillar protein that is polymerised to form a "mesh" that forms a hemostatic plug or clot (in conjunction with platelets) over a wound site and PAI-1 Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is the principal inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase (uPA), the activators of plasminogen and hence fibrinolysis (the physiological breakdown of blood clots). It is a serine protease inhibitor (serpin) protein (SERPINE1) blood concentrations
• Elevated homocysteine Homocysteine is an amino acid with the formula HSCH2CH2CHCO2H. It is a homologue of the amino acid cysteine, differing by an additional methylene (-CH2-) group. It is biosynthesized from methionine by the removal of its terminal Cε methyl group. Homocysteine can be recycled into methionine or converted into cysteine with the aid of B-vitamins, or even upper half of normal
• Elevated blood levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine Asymmetric dimethylarginine is a naturally occurring chemical found in blood plasma. It is a metabolic by-product of continual protein modification processes in the cytoplasm of all human cells. It is closely related to L-arginine, a conditionally-essential amino acid. ADMA interferes with L-arginine in the production of nitric oxide, a key
• High inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein C-reactive protein is a protein found in the blood, the levels of which rise in response to inflammation (an acute-phase protein). Its physiological role is to bind to phosphocholine expressed on the surface of dead or dying cells (and some types of bacteria) in order to activate the complement system via the C1Q complex
• Elevated blood levels of brain natriuretic peptide Brain natriuretic peptide , now known as B-type natriuretic peptide (also BNP) or GC-B, is a 32 amino acid polypeptide secreted by the ventricles of the heart in response to excessive stretching of heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes). BNP is named as such because it was originally identified in extracts of porcine brain, although in humans it is (also known as B-type) (BNP) ^[7]

Management

Unlike many other chronic. medical conditions, Cardiovascular disease is treatable and reversible, even after a long history of disease. Treatment is primarily focused on diet and stress reduction.^{[4] [8] [9] [10] [11]}

Epidemiology

Research

The first studies on cardiovascular health were performed in 1949 by Jerry Morris using occupational health data and were published in 1958.^[13] The causes, prevention, and/or treatment of all forms of cardiovascular disease remain active fields of biomedical research Biomedical research , in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research, applied research, or translational research conducted to aid and support the body of knowledge in the field of medicine. Medical research can be divided into two general categories: the evaluation of new treatments for both safety and efficacy in what are, with hundreds of scientific studies being published on a weekly basis.

A fairly recent emphasis is on the link between low-grade inflammation Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process. Inflammation is not a synonym for infection. Even in cases where inflammation is that hallmarks atherosclerosis and its possible interventions. C-reactive protein C-reactive protein is a protein found in the blood, the levels of which rise in response to inflammation (an acute-phase protein). Its physiological role is to bind to phosphocholine expressed on the surface of dead or dying cells (and some types of bacteria) in order to activate the complement system via the C1Q complex (CRP) is an inflammatory marker that may be present in increased levels in the blood in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. Its exact role in predicting disease is the subject of debate.

Some areas currently being researched include possible links between infection An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host's resources to multiply, usually at the expense of the host. The infecting organism, or pathogen, interferes with the normal functioning of the host and can lead to chronic wounds, gangrene, loss with Chlamydophila pneumoniae and coronary artery disease. The Chlamydia link has become less plausible with the absence of improvement after antibiotic use.^[14]

See also

• Alcohol and cardiovascular disease Although excessive alcohol intake has been associated with a possible elevated risk of liver disease, heart failure, cancer, and accidental injury, and is a leading cause of death in industrialized countries,considerable research suggests that moderate alcohol intake is associated with health benefits, among them a decreased risk of cardiovascular

References

1. ^ Maton, Anthea (1993). Human Biology and Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 0-13-981176-1.
2. ^ United States The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services based in Atlanta, Georgia. It works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health decisions, and it promotes health through partnerships with state health departments and other (1999). "Chronic Disease Overview". United States Government.
3. ^ Rainwater DL, McMahan CA, Malcom GT, et al. (Mar 1999). "Lipid and apolipoprotein predictors of atherosclerosis in youth: apolipoprotein concentrations do not materially improve prediction of arterial lesions in PDAY subjects. The PDAY Research Group". Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins for the American Heart Association. It publishes basic and clinical research related to vascular biology, pathophysiology and complications of atherosclerosis, and thrombotic mechanisms in blood vessels 19 (3): 753–61. PMID A PMID is a unique number assigned to each PubMed citation of life sciences and biomedical scientific journal articles. The related Pubmed Central archive may additionally assign a separate number, a PMCID (PubMed Central Identifier), normally written with a PMC prefix 10073983. http://atvb.ahajournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=10073983.
4. ^ ^{a b} McGill HC, McMahan CA, Zieske AW, et al. (Aug 2000). "Associations of coronary heart disease risk factors with the intermediate lesion of atherosclerosis in youth. The Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) Research Group". Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins for the American Heart Association. It publishes basic and clinical research related to vascular biology, pathophysiology and complications of atherosclerosis, and thrombotic mechanisms in blood vessels 20 (8): 1998–2004. PMID A PMID is a unique number assigned to each PubMed citation of life sciences and biomedical scientific journal articles. The related Pubmed Central archive may additionally assign a separate number, a PMCID (PubMed Central Identifier), normally written with a PMC prefix 10938023. http://atvb.ahajournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=10938023.
5. ^ Vanhecke TE, Miller WM, Franklin BA, Weber JE, McCullough PA (Oct 2006). "Awareness, knowledge, and perception of heart disease among adolescents". Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 13 (5): 718–23. doi A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found. The DOI for a document is permanent, whereas its location and other metadata:10.1097/01.hjr.0000214611.91490.5e. PMID A PMID is a unique number assigned to each PubMed citation of life sciences and biomedical scientific journal articles. The related Pubmed Central archive may additionally assign a separate number, a PMCID (PubMed Central Identifier), normally written with a PMC prefix 17001210.
6. ^ Wang TJ, Gona P, Larson MG, Tofler GH, Levy D, Newton-Cheh C, Jacques PF, Rifai N, Selhub J, Robins SJ, Benjamin EJ, D'Agostino RB, Vasan RS (2006). "Multiple biomarkers for the prediction of first major cardiovascular events and death". N. Engl. J. Med. 355 (25): 2631–billy bob joe9. doi A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found. The DOI for a document is permanent, whereas its location and other metadata:10.1056/NEJMoa055373. PMID A PMID is a unique number assigned to each PubMed citation of life sciences and biomedical scientific journal articles. The related Pubmed Central archive may additionally assign a separate number, a PMCID (PubMed Central Identifier), normally written with a PMC prefix 17182988.
7. ^ Wang TJ, Larson MG, Levy D, et al. (Feb 2004). "Plasma natriuretic peptide alksdjalkdj levels and the risk of cardiovascular events and death". N Engl J Med. 350 (7): 655–63. doi A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found. The DOI for a document is permanent, whereas its location and other metadata:10.1056/NEJMoa031994. PMID A PMID is a unique number assigned to each PubMed citation of life sciences and biomedical scientific journal articles. The related Pubmed Central archive may additionally assign a separate number, a PMCID (PubMed Central Identifier), normally written with a PMC prefix 14960742. <!kjk-- Pls confirm this ref-->
8. ^ Ornish Dean (Jan 1996). Dean Dr. Dean Ornish's Programme for Reversing Heart Disease Ivy Books. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 0-8041-1038-7.
9. ^ Ornish, Dean, "et al." (Jul 1990). "'Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease?' The Lifestyle Heart Trial.". Lancet 336 (8708): 129–33. doi A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found. The DOI for a document is permanent, whereas its location and other metadata:10.1016/0140-6736(90)91656-U.
10. ^ Ornish, D., Scherwitz, L. W., Doody, R. S., Kesten, D., McLanahan, S. M., Brown, S. E. "et al." (1983). "Effects of stress management training and dietary changes in treating ischemic heart disease". JAMA 249 (54): 54. doi A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found. The DOI for a document is permanent, whereas its location and other metadata:10.1001/jama.249.1.54.
11. ^ Ornish, D., Scherwitz, L. W., Billings, J. H., Brown, S. E., Gould, K. L., Merritt, T. A. "et al." (1998). "Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary heart disease". JAMA 280 (280): 2001. doi A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found. The DOI for a document is permanent, whereas its location and other metadata:10.1001/jama.280.23.2001. PMID 9863851.
12. ^ "WHO Disease and injury country estimates". World Health Organization. 2009. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/estimates_country/en/index.html. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2009.
13. ^ Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work by J. N. Morris and Margaret D. Crawford, British Medical Journal 1958 ; 2(5111): 1485–1496 [1]
14. ^ Andraws R, Berger JS, Brown DL (Jun 2005). "Effects of antibiotic therapy on outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". JAMA 293 (21): 2641–7. doi:10.1001/jama.293.21.2641. PMID 15928286.

External links

Informational

• Total Cholesterol Distribution vs. CHD deaths
• Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2006 Update from the American Heart Association
• Cardiovascular Disease Foundation
• The British Heart Foundation
• World Health Organization cardiovascular disease site
• European Association for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR)
• Individually tailored heart care within reach. Research at Uppsala university 2010.

Risk Assessment

• www.HeartScore.org Cardiovascular disease risk assessment and management tool for health professionals - developed by the European Society of Cardiology

Public information

• HeartFailureMatters.org Informations website for patients, families and care givers with animations, interviews and glossary - Created by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.
• Health-EU Portal Cardiovascular Diseases in the EU

Categories: Cardiovascular diseases | Medical conditions related to obesity

See Also:

• Cardiovascular Disease: Encyclopedia
• Cardiovascular Diseases: Encyclopedia
• Diseases: Encyclopedia
• Keshan Disease: Encyclopedia
• Infectious Diseases: Encyclopedia

What Links Here:

Recently Viewed Pages:

• Search Terms
• Referrers
• Home
• Obesity: Answers
• Osteoarthritis: Encyclopedia
• Diethylpropion
• Pathophysiology: Answers
• Pathophysiology
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Methamphetamine: Encyclopedia

Most Popular Pages:

• Cardiovascular Disease: Web Search
• Pathophysiology of Dengue
• Pathophysiology of Dengue: Answers
• Pathophysiology
• Pathophysiology: Answers
• Pathophysiology of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: Answers
• Nursing Care Plan: Answers
• Home
• Pathophysiology of Tahbso: Images
• Referrers

Related 'Cardiovascular Disease' Searches: