Cardiovascular health is fundamental to overall well-being, and this article provides an overview of key aspects, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and strategies for maintaining a healthy heart.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease is indeed a significant cardiovascular concern. To understand why, it’s important to know that the heart muscle needs its own constant supply of oxygen-rich blood to function properly. This vital blood supply is delivered through the coronary arteries, which are epicardial vessels that wrap around the heart.
In coronary artery disease, these arteries become narrowed or blocked, most often due to the buildup of plaque. Plaque consists of cholesterol, inflammatory cells and chemical cascades, necrotic tissue, calcium, and fibrin. When plaque accumulates inside the coronary arteries, it can reduce blood flow to the heart muscle.
This reduction in blood flow can lead to a range of problems:
- Angina: Chest pain or discomfort, often described as a squeezing or pressure, which occurs when the heart muscle isn’t getting enough oxygen.
- Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction): often due to coronary artery becomes completely blocked due to plaque rupture, the heart muscle that is supplied by that artery can become damaged or die . This is a heart attack.
Coronary artery disease can develop over many years, and common risk factors include:
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Family history of heart disease
Heart Failure
Heart failure is indeed a critical area of focus in cardiovascular health. It’s important to clarify that “heart failure” doesn’t mean the heart has completely stopped working. Instead, it signifies a condition where the heart isn’t able to pump blood as effectively as it should to meet the body’s needs. Certain conditions can lead to heart failure, such as hypertension, valvular disease, disease of the heart muscle, and coronary artery disease.
- The Heart’s Role: The heart is a muscular organ responsible for circulating blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues and organs.
- Inefficient Pumping: In heart failure, the heart may not be able to fill properly with blood, or it may not be able to pump with enough force, or a combination of both.
- Consequences: This can lead to a variety of symptoms, such as short of breath, reduced effort tolerance, ankle swelling. Often, other organs such as kidneys can be affected by heart failure vice versa.
- Prevalence: Global prevalence is estimated to be around 1.3 to 6%. With close to 600 per 10000 people in Southeast Asia.
Strategies for Better Heart Health
- Exercise Therapy:
- The Benefit: Exercise is a powerful tool for strengthening the heart muscle, improving circulation, and maintaining general health. Regular physical activity can help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, and improve the overall function of the cardiovascular system.
- HF-ACTION Trial: This was a major clinical trial that specifically investigated the effects of exercise training in patients with heart failure. The results of the HF-ACTION Trial demonstrated that regular exercise can be safe and beneficial for many individuals with heart failure, leading to improvements in their functional capacity and quality of life.
- Recommendations: It’s important to consult with a healthcare provider to determine an appropriate exercise plan, especially for individuals with existing heart conditions..
- Good Risk Factors Control:
- The Importance: High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications. When blood pressure is consistently high, it puts extra strain on the heart and blood vessels, increasing the likelihood of damage over time. Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, may lead to vascular complications such as stroke, heart attack, kidneys failure, and impaired eye sight. Similarly, high cholesterol, smoking, stress, environmental pollution can contribute to poor cardiac health as well.
- The Goal: Maintaining blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol within a healthy range is crucial for protecting cardiovascular health. This often involves lifestyle modifications such as diet, exercise, weight management, and stress reduction, and may also require medication.
- Risk Reduction: Effective risk factors control significantly reduces the risk of developing heart disease and its associated problems.
- Flu Vaccine:
- The Connection: While it might seem surprising, there’s a link between influenza (the flu) and heart health.
- Potential Complications: Influenza infection can sometimes lead to complications that affect the cardiovascular system, such as inflammation and increased stress on the heart, leading to admissions, and sometimes mortality.
- Reduced Hospitalization: Studies suggest that influenza vaccination may help reduce the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular events, particularly in vulnerable populations like older adults and those with pre-existing heart conditions.
- Prevention: Getting an annual flu vaccine is recommended for individuals at risk, such as a person with heart failure
If you have any concern, do contact us at 03-3375 7799 @ ext 7286
by Dr Toh Seng Hsiung, Consultant Cardiologist