Friday, June 28, 2019

What is arrhythmia?


The term arrhythmia is associated with any deviation from the actual sequence of electrical impulses generated by the heart’s electrical conduction system. 

This means that electrical impulses could happen too fast or too slow, or erratically. This causes the heart to beat faster or slower than normal. If the heart is not beating properly, it cannot pump enough blood to various organs. Because of this, the organs may not work adequately or may get damaged.
The heart is a strong, muscular pump, whose function is to continuously pump blood through the system. Every day the heart beats on an average around 100,000 times and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through the body.

An arrhythmia describes an irregular heartbeat - the heart may beat too fast (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), too early (premature contraction), or irregularly (fibrillation or flutter).

Friday, June 21, 2019

What is atherosclerosis?



Atherosclerosis happens when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body (arteries) become thick and stiff — sometimes restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues. Healthy arteries are flexible and elastic, but over time, the walls in your arteries can harden, a condition commonly called hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis, but the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Atherosclerosis refers to the build-up of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on your artery walls (plaques), which can restrict blood flow. These plaques can burst, triggering a blood clot. Although atherosclerosis is often considered a heart problem, it can affect arteries anywhere in your body. Atherosclerosis usually is preventable and is treatable.


Tuesday, June 18, 2019

What is cardiomyopathy?


In simple terms, cardiomyopathy refers to abnormal heart muscle. Some cases are mild and require no treatment. But in other cases, the condition causes severe symptoms (such as breathing difficulty and leg swelling) and leads to serious complications. Cardiomyopathy is one of many possible causes of heart failure, which happens when the heart is unable to pump well enough to meet the body's need for oxygen-carrying blood.

One of the most common forms, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is an abnormal thickening of the heart wall. The heart cannot fill completely, leaving less blood to pump out to the body. Although the condition can go unnoticed, it may cause a heart murmur that a doctor can detect with a stethoscope. The damaged heart cells may also disrupt the heart's electrical signals, leading to heart rhythm problems such as palpitations. In extreme cases, people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy experience sudden cardiac arrest during vigorous physical activity; in fact, it's the most common cause of sudden death in athletes.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is almost always caused by mutations in one of several genes that are passed down from one parent. People with a family history of the disease usually need routine heart ultrasounds to check for thickening of the heart muscle. The prognosis for this type of cardiomyopathy varies widely, but many people need medications and careful supervision throughout their lives.

The other main form, dilated cardiomyopathy, leads to distinctly different heart changes. The damaged heart muscle (usually the lower left chamber of the heart, the left ventricle) thins and stretches out of shape. The enlarged heart cannot pump blood effectively, which may eventually lead to heart failure. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and swelling of the legs and feet. While up to a third of cases appear to be inherited, in most cases the cause remains unknown. However, many factors may contribute to dilated cardiomyopathy, including coronary artery disease, inborn heart defects, infections, toxins, drug or alcohol abuse, and some cancer drugs.
Unfortunately, dilated cardiomyopathy is often advanced by the time it is diagnosed and may be extremely debilitating. Losing weight (if needed) and limiting salt are often necessary, as are medications to help manage symptoms. A heart transplant can greatly improve survival, but the scarcity of donor hearts makes this option less common. Some people use small implanted mechanical pumps known as left ventricular assist devices, which take over part or all of the heart's pumping ability. In the past, such devices were used as a "bridge" to a heart transplant, but they are increasingly being used as a long-term solution.

Friday, June 14, 2019

What is interventional cardiology?




Interventional cardiology is a branch of cardiology that deals specifically with the catheter based treatment of structural heart diseases.


We use interventional cardiology to diagnose many heart and vascular problems. Interventional cardiology also helps us avoid surgery with treatments like angioplasty and valve repair or replacement.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

What is cardiovascular disease?


Cardiovascular coronary heart disease is because of the disorders of the heart and blood vessels. These include coronary heart sickness (heart attack), cerebrovascular disorder (stroke), expanded blood stress (high blood pressure), peripheral artery disorder, rheumatic coronary heart disorder, congenital heartsickness, and heart failure.




The heart is taken into consideration to be the maximum loyal a part of our body. If for some reason its capacity to work is affected, then it has a big impact on our body. Even this could be deadly. The main reasons for cardiovascular sickness, intake of tobacco, the physical state of being inactive (irregular, runny lifestyles), irregular meals and excessive intake of alcohol are included.

·         How our body works
The human body especially runs systems. Any such is metabolism and the second is the diagram Nature has not created this human body in such a manner that it could fit itself in fast food and a full-fledged way of life. After working all day within the workplace, sticking to the TV until past due within the night and then irregular meals, it damages the body. Those habits reason extra pressure at the coronary heart and in the end, this stress causes the heart patient.

·         All right then blood flow
It is here to note that the blood glide plays a crucial position in controlling the heartbeat. The majority are unaware of coronary heart-related illnesses. The problem of coronary heart attack is mainly because of the lack of a proper supply of blood inside the coronary heart muscle. Within the coronary arteries present within the heart, there may be a threat of coronary heart sicknesses, even supposing the blood deliver isn't always correct.

·         Symptoms of Cardiovascular heart disease -
1.    Chest pain (angina)
2.    Shortness of breath.
Painnumbnessweak point, and coolness to your feet or hands (blood vessels in those components of your body while compressed)

Friday, June 7, 2019

Does salt actually cause hypertension?


For years, scientists have guessed that excess salt intake may cause elevated blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
However, studies have given mixed results, partly because people's blood pressure responds to salt intake in various ways. Those people who have a tendency toward hypertension when eating an excessive amount of salt are also called being salt-sensitive.
Recently, the American Heart Association published a detailed report on the available evidence on sodium sensitivity. Here's a review of the review's main points.
What's Salt Sensitivity?
Salt sensitivity is a measure of the blood pressure responds to fluctuations in dietary salt intake.
How people's blood pressure responds to salt intake differs. Because of this, perhaps not everyone is salt sensitive.
Salt sensitivity isn't easy to accurately measure. Additionally, salt sensitivity isn't really a static factor, and also the limit above which people can be considered salt-sensitive is determined depending on the definition used.
But most people who are hypertension may also be salt sensitive and painful, particularly when their blood pressure is high.
The physiological mechanics behind salt sensitivity are incompletely understood. It's very likely that salt sensitivity is caused by abnormalities in the regulation of salt balance.
It's likely that disruptions of this organic rhythm may have something to do with salt but further studies are needed.

What Makes Salt Sensitivity Crucial?
There's presently no cure for salt sensitivity. However, salt-sensitive individuals may want to take anti-hypertensive drugs or limit their dietary salt intake.
The salt intake of most Americans exceeds the tips of 3,750--5,750 mg of sodium (1,500--2,300 milligrams of sodium) per day.
For people that are salt sensitive, then sticking with these recommendations may possibly reduce the probability of hypertension and heart disease.
But some observational studies indicate there is really a J-shaped association between salt intake and also heart disease. Both too little and too much salt could possibly be harmful.
Additionally, meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials suggest that salt limitation causes only a mild reduction in blood pressure, and many actually conclude that salt intake does not significantly affect heart disease threat.
Randomized controlled trials comparing salt sensitive and insensitive individuals are wanted.