Arrhythmias-Information on Arrhythmias
Article by peterhutch
Arrhythmias are disorders of the regular rhythmic beating of the heart. They’re common • ” about 2.2 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation (one type of rhythm problem). Arrhythmias can occur in a healthy heart and be of minimal consequence. They also may indicate a serious problem and lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death. The goal of this site is to help the public and healthcare professionals learn more about arrhythmias, and ultimately reduce disability and death from heart disease and stroke. Do your part by learning the facts and taking the steps needed to understand and control arrhythmias.The heart has four chambers. The top two are the atria, and the lower two are the ventricles. Normally the heartbeat starts in the right atrium when a special group of cells sends an electrical signal. (These cells are called the sinoatrial or SA node, the sinus node or the heart’s “pacemaker.”) This signal spreads throughout the atria and to the atrioventricular (A-V) node. The A-V node connects to a group of fibers in the ventricles that conduct the electrical signal. The impulse travels down these specialized fibers (the His-Purkinje system) to all parts of the ventricles. The electrical signal must follow this exact route for the heart to pump properly.
Patients may describe an arrhythmia as a palpitation or fluttering sensation in the chest. For some types of arrhythmias, a skipped beat might be sensed because the subsequent beat produces a more forceful contraction and a thumping sensation in the chest. A “racing” heart is another description. Proper diagnosis of arrhythmias requires an electrocardiogram, which is used to evaluate the electrical activity of the heart.
In the majority of cases, a skipped beat is not medically significant. The most serious arrhythmias, however, contribute to almost 500,000 deaths in the United States each year according to the American Heart Association, with annual deaths attributable to the condition rising steadily. Also, one type of arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation causes most of the 330,000 sudden cardiac deaths that occur each year.
Arrhythmias can either be temporary or permanent and they can be caused by several things • ” but they can also happen for no apparent reason. Arrhythmias can be congenital, meaning a person is born with the condition. Other causes of arrhythmias include chemical imbalances in the blood, infections or other diseases that cause irritation or inflammation of the heart, medications (prescription or over-the-counter), and injuries to the heart from chest trauma or heart surgery. Other factors like illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, stress, and some herbal remedies can also cause arrhythmias.
An arrhythmia is a disturbance of the normal rhythm of the heart. Arrhythmias are very common and affect over 700,000 people in England. Arrhythmias may occur naturally, or be due to heart disease or other causes, such as a reaction to a medicine. An arrhythmia may occur continuously or just occasionally.
Arrhythmias can be temporary or permanent. They can be caused by several things, but can also occur for no apparent reason. Arrhythmias can be congenital, meaning a child is born with the condition. This can happen in a child with a birth defect of the heart, or even if a child’s heart has formed normally.
In most people, arrhythmias are minor and are not dangerous. A small number of people, however, have arrhythmias that are dangerous and require treatment. Arrhythmias are also more serious if you have other heart problems. In general, arrhythmias that start in the lower chambers of the heart (called the ventricles) are more serious than those that start in the upper chambers (called the atria). Your doctor will talk with you about the type of arrhythmia you have and whether you need treatment.
Could High Cholesterol Be A Contributing Factor In The Development Of Alzheimer’s Disease
Article by R.D. Hawkins
It is well-known that high cholesterol levels are a precursor to cardiovascular disease. We also know that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and seventy percent of heart attack victims have high cholesterol. But now there seems to be another really serious disease that experts believe could be linked to high cholesterol, and that is Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is perhaps the most feared disease of all. Anyone who has had to watch helplessly as a family member gradually slipped into the darkness of Alzheimer’s knows the pain and heartbreak this disease can bring.
According to an article in HealthDay News research suggests that high cholesterol levels could raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by creating more brain-clogging bits known as plaque.
The good news, in what is a very disturbing sea of troubling information, is that the findings in this article don’t directly prove that high cholesterol causes Alzheimer’s disease or that lowering it would reduce the risk. Also, the research failed to link Alzheimer’s and dangerous brain tangles.
On the other hand, the discoveries add to prior research linking insulin resistance to this dangerous brain disease. According the study’s author Dr. Kensuke Sasaki better control of both cholesterol levels and insulin resistance, both risk factor for heart disease might contribute to a strategy for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Currently 5.4 million people are known to have Alzheimer’s disease and countless others have early stage Alzheimer’s which can easily be overlooked or confused with other much less severe conditions and diseases.
The research conducted by Dr. Sasaki consisted of 147 Japanese people – 76 men, 71 women who were all alive in 1988 when they went through a thorough clinical examination. All underwent autopsies between 1998 and 2003.
Of the 147 people participating in the study 49 had dementia, although no signs were apparent until 1988.
Compared with people with low cholesterol levels, those with high cholesterol levels were more likely to have plaque in the brain: 62 percent versus 86 percent.
On the other hand brain tangles weren’t more common in people with high cholesterol.
Dr. Marc L. Gordon, chief of neurology at the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., found the study to be both credible and intriguing and went on to add that this study reinforces the suspicion that high cholesterol levels in midlife, particularly bad cholesterol/LDL boosts the risk of Alzheimer’s later in life.
It is not clear how cholesterol may make plaques in the brain more common, said Gordon, although cholesterol is found in plaques. It is possible that cholesterol could set off another process that causes Alzheimer’s, he said, or that something else “predisposes you to be prone to Alzheimer’s and raises your cholesterol levels.”
In conclusion, high cholesterol has no known long-term benefits and now we can add Alzheimer’s to the list of possible dangerous diseases linked to it. Lowering cholesterol, in most cases, is about changing old habits, adopting new healthier habits, and enlisting the help of convention medications such as statins.
Put simply, this means finding ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL (bad cholesterol levels), while bringing overall cholesterol down to acceptable heart healthy levels. Certainly when deciding on ways to bring cholesterol levels into healthy levels the aforementioned statin drugs will be one of your options but they do carry a number of serious label warnings.
The side effect risks have compelled many natural health minded individuals to seek out alternatives. One of the safest, and most effective, are natural cholesterol reduction supplements containing ingredients such as policosanol and plant-based phytosterol compounds. When combined with a heart healthy diet and doctor approved daily exercise this all natural treatment approach has shown to one worth considering. As always talk to your doctor before making medication changes.
An Overview Of Heart Disease
Article by Cindy Heller
One of the most widely recognized causes of premature death worldwide today is heart disease. Although this may sound very depressing, the reality is that the incidence of premature deaths caused by heart disease has significantly declined in recent years. Although progress has been made in the treatment of heart disease, additional effort needs to be made to prevent this illness as much as possible. Heart disease often takes a toll on the sufferer’s and his family’s lives. Treating heart disease can also be very complicated, requiring specialized human resources, equipment and medication. The costs of such treatments are also very high. In summary, prevention is better than the cure. Let’s now review the other factors.
Who Are At Risk?
People who have a family history of heart disease are probably the most at risk. So, bear in mind that if hereditary heart disease is prevalent in your family it would probably be a wise step to discuss this aspect with your doctor and to have regular annual appointments with him to check for potential problems. Be assured that if you do this, your chances of circumventing heart disease will be so much better.
Heart Disease Is A Leading Cause For Fatalities
Although more men are prone to heart disease than women, it is the most widely recognized cause of death in women. Strangely enough the observation that women live longer than men is also still true. Women therefore have to take certain measures to prevent the onset and development of heart disease.
Recognition Of The Problem Often Occurs Too Late
Doctors and specialists today, armed with improved technologies, are able to diagnose and treat heart disease more comprehensively than ever in the past. Unfortunately, by the time most people realize that they are suffering from heart disease, it would have escalated to an advanced stage that poses a treatment challenge for physicians. Often the onset of the illness only comes to light when the person has already been afflicted by a stroke or heart attack.
Of the many contributing factors of heart disease in people, smoking cigarettes is the most critical. Other factors such as elevated blood cholesterol levels as well as obesity, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyles and diabetes heighten the incidence of heart disease. The person who does not deny these risk factors will have a better understanding and chance of survival should he or she be afflicted by some form of heart disease. Obviously it will mean making some necessary lifestyle changes.
Tremendous advances in medical technology have been made in many areas and also in terms of treatment protocols for sufferers of coronary heart disease. The development of drugs specifically designed to prevent heart attacks has increased and are readily available. Surgical techniques have advanced tremendously since the days of Dr. Chris Barnard and the first heart transplant. Both drug and surgery treatment protocols are designed for the elimination of heart problems and the restoration of proper heart function. The success of these developments is documented by the sharp decline of fatalities due to heart disease.
Steps Forward In Dealing With Heart Disease
Many new preventive measures have been developed to reduce the problems associated with heart disease. In addition to the advances in medical treatment for people suffering from heart disease, public awareness for these illnesses has increased dramatically. People are educating themselves with regards to the good benefits of a healthy lifestyle, staying away from smoking and drugs and working out to a cardiovascular exercise routine that is specifically designed to exercise the heart to make it stronger.
This statement by no means indicates that heart disease is not a serious threat, or that heart disease can be circumvented with minor treatment programs. Not at all! Heart disease is a serious health condition the danger of which can never be underplayed. But it is interesting and important to realize that heart disease is no longer the death threat that it was in years gone by.
Check Ups Can Prevent Heart Problems
Regular examinations by the doctor will not prevent heart disease from happening, but these examinations may have a significant impact on your heath if they are able to nip a heart problem in the bud before it becomes serious. This makes sense with regards to any illness. Detecting heart disease early in its developmental stages can motivate the patient to obtain treatment as a matter of urgency. When treatment is received promptly, the higher the chances are to successfully treat the heart disease before it turns out to be life threatening. Because this is so important regular – at least annual – checkups are necessary for those who might be at risk for heart disease.
Understanding Child Heart Disease
Article by Cindy Heller
Heart disease is a disorder, which affect the proper functioning of the heart. Child heart disease is common affecting many newborn and older children. This article examines the various child heart diseases and their treatment.
Congenital Heart Disease
Heart disease is a serious ailment and often leads to premature death. Many children can also suffer from heart disease. Child heart disease is actually quite a common worldwide. When a child is born with an existing defect in the heart, it is called congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease is fairly. It affects almost one percent of all newborn.
Often, the first diagnosis of child heart disease is made during routine examination when the pediatrician detects heart murmur. Heart murmur is the noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. Heart murmurs are fairly common in children. It is not necessarily a sign of child heart disease.
If a heart murmur is due to a problem in a child’s heart, it is caused either by a hole in the heart, a leaky heart valve, or constricted heart valve. To confirm the diagnosis, an examination by a pediatric cardiologist is necessary. Pediatric specializes in child heart disease.
Abnormalities of the heart may or may not be noticeable at birth. For example, a hole in the heart wall will allows blood to travel from one side to the other. In such case, the baby may have blue lips or fingers. This is one of the signs of child heart disease.
Another example of child heart disease is an abnormal heart valve, which allow blood to flow in the opposite direction. Such a problem will usually require surgery once the child is older.
Congenital heart disease must be treated promptly or it will lead to more serious complications. Hence, early detection is important. Unfortunately, many heart defects are not detected at birth resulting in more damage to the heart and requiring more extensive treatment.
Some forms of congenital heart disease are actually self-healing. However, in many cases, major surgery will be required to rectify the problems.
While there are risks associated with surgery, the chances of full recovery and a normal life are very high. So the situation is not hopeless.
Connection between Premature Infants and Heart Disease
A baby is considered premature if born before 37 weeks. Most premature babies are born with some form of heart problem. A premature infant’s organs are also not fully developed, and thus require special care in a nursery or intensive care unit while their organ systems continue growth.
Although there is no sure way to avoid premature labor, one of the most important preventive measures to receive proper prenatal care. Statistics show that proper prenatal care greatly reduces the odds of premature birth and related deaths.
The pregnant mother should also maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, keep well hydrated and have at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.
Hereditary Heart Disease
Hereditary heart disease refers to heart disease, which is passed down through genes. It is not preventable. If one has a history of heart disease in the family then one is at risk of hereditary heart disease.
The risk is greater when first-degree relatives, such as your mother, father, brother, sister and so on, have heart disease.
In rare cases, high cholesterol level runs in the family. This is called familial hypercholesterolaemia. It is a genetic problem, which results in exceptionally high level of cholesterol. As a result, there is a high of heart disease.
Hereditary heart disease is caused by various factors. Sometimes, it is merely a pattern of heart disease rather than true hereditary heart disease. These are actually avoidable. For example, the family lifestyle such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. All of these factors contribute to heart disease and can be the start of the chain of hereditary heart disease. In such cases, changing these risk factors will reduce the likelihood of heart disease. This means eating a proper well-balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, as well as avoids smoking and excessive drinking.
By living a healthy lifestyle, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, even if one’s genes are predispose to heart disease.