Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Disease and Coronary Artery Disease Paper Example

Differences between cardiovascular disease, heart disease and coronary artery disease.

People with little medical knowledge often presume that cardiovascular disease and heart disease have the same meaning because both affect heart organs. The two diseases are, however, different. Cardiovascular disease refers to conditions that cause narrowing of veins or blocking of blood vessels, and the conditions can result in a heart attack if they are not checked in time. Heart disease, on the other hand, refers to a variety of conditions that obstruct the effective functioning of the heart. Examples of heart diseases include heart failure, coronary artery disease arrhythmia, and angina.

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Coronary artery disease, on the other hand, is an example of a heart disease that inhibits effective blood flow by impairing the arteries that pump blood to the heart. Normally, coronary artery disease occurs when the main blood vessels supplying oxygen, blood, and nutrients to the heart are damaged. Currently, coronary artery disease is the leading cause of non-accidental diseases in the U.S (Roth et al., 2018). It is also important to note that heart disease falls under cardiovascular diseases. In a nutshell, coronary heart disease is an example of heart diseases, and all heart diseases fall under cardiovascular diseases because cardiovascular disease stands for all the diseases that affect the heart, and blood vessels.

How high blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

High blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by creating constant pressure on artery walls. The high pressure of blood on artery walls generates shear stress which damages the walls. After the wall being damaged by the high pressure of blood, they become vulnerable to calcium, and cholesterol plaques, which accumulate on the impaired portions of the artery walls (Dalhoff, 2010). The calcium and cholesterol plaques grow in these impaired portions, and with time they cause blockage of the coronary arteries, and subsequent coronary artery disease. As the plaques continue to develop, they weaken the coronary arteries making them vulnerable to rapture as blood pressure also increases. In the end, the plaques raptures as a result of the increased blood pressure thereby forming a clot in the artery, and subsequent heart attack (Dalhoff, 2010).

Difference between visceral and subcutaneous fat.

Socially, having a large belly is considered unhealthy, and it is highly discouraged. However, it is very unfortunate that people condemn huge bellies without understanding that belly fat is not that bad as many presume. In fact, an obese person with a large belly may be healthier than an individual who isn't obese. This is the case because the fats in the belly that lies directly under the skin are do not pose a significant risk on an individual's health as people presume. These fats are referred to as subcutaneous fat, and they are not hazardous to a person's health like the invisible fats within body organs.

The fat that lies within invisible body organs is referred to as visceral fat, and it is the most hazardous to an individual's health. It is normal for an individual who is obese to lack visceral fats, and one who isn't obese to have them. However, it is noteworthy that most obese people with huge fat bellies have significant amounts of visceral fats. According to a study done by Benatti & Oyama, (2011), on the effectiveness of liposuction surgery in reducing belly fats for health improvements, it was unearthed that the exercise had no significance as long as visceral fats remained in the body. Unfortunately, visceral fats in abdominal organs cannot be removed through liposuctions.

Type of fat that is associated with cardiovascular disease.

The type of fat associated with cardiovascular disease is visceral fats. Cardiovascular complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, and other heart diseases often result from an excessive accumulation of visceral fats. Visceral fats are associated with cardiovascular diseases because their excess accumulation in the unseen body parts hinders effective flow of blood. Accumulation of the visceral fats causes blockage of arteries. Blockage of the arteries, in turn, causes blood pressure to increase significantly. As the blood pressure increases, artery walls are exposed to shear stress which weakens them. Increased visceral fats and increased blood pressure lead to the formation of a clot on arteries, and subsequent rapture. Heart attack which is an example of a cardiovascular disease occurs as a result.

Healthy waist measurement in inches for a man and woman.

Most health problems are associated with where fats are stored. Existing statistics show that individuals' who carry too much weight around their waist are at a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, and cancer (Zhao et al., 2011). Use of body mass index (BMI) calculator is the most popular way of determining whether you are overweight. Measuring your waist is, however, a more effective strategy of assessing your health status, because it's possible to have a healthy BMI, and still be at risk of these cardiovascular diseases (Zhao et al., 2011).

Normally, the healthy waist measurement in inches for a man is a maximum of 37 inches. The healthy waist measurement for women, on the other hand, is a maximum of 31.5 inches (Zhao et al., 2011). Irrespective of your height, you should make efforts of losing weight, if your waist happens to be above the indicated inches. Healthy diets can also help you significantly in losing weight if your waist inches fall above the maximum acceptable measurements.

Contribution of stress to cardiovascular diseases.

Stress is commonly known to worsen the conditions, and thus emphasis is currently being put towards ensuring that patient stress levels are kept at a minimum. Among all the diseases that are known to be worsened by stress, cardiovascular diseases tend to top the list. A study conducted by Tsutsui & Matsushima, (2011), found that stress has the possibility of increasing the chances of cardiovascular disease by 50%. This finding implies that stress can add up to cardiovascular diseases on the ailment that you could be suffering from at that moment. However, if stress is avoided the chances of suffering from a cardiovascular disease reduces.

While in medical school, we were taught that fright, flight or fight causes the body to release hormones such as adrenaline in preparation for a reaction. The body releases hormones depending on the extremity of the shock in order to increase the awareness, and prepare for a response. This response to the frightening situation causes an adrenaline rush which strains the heart substantially. If this frightening situation continues, you'll most likely experience cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, and constriction of blood vessels. Stress is perceived as a slow killer, because it strains hormones, thereby impacting their effectiveness negatively.

Stress increases blood pressure, as hormones try to respond to the stressful situation. If the stressful situation isn't controlled in time, the increased blood pressure weakens artery walls, and hence the affected individual can experience a cardiac arrest. Having slightly raised levels of hormones for a long duration causes an inflammation at first, and then causes a heart disorder later (Tsutsui & Matsushima, (2011). Since stressful situations are normal, individuals should learn ways of overcoming them to minimize the chances of suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

How physical activities help to reduce the risks for cardiovascular diseases.

Engaging in regular physical activities has been proved to aid significantly in enhancing cardiovascular adaptations that boost the strength of the skeletal muscles. Since the heart is also a muscle, regular exercise aids in keeping it healthy, and strong. As the strength of the heart is enhanced by the habitual exercise, the heart rate reduces because little pressure will be needed to pump a similar amount of blood. Besides, the physical activity will enhance the flexibility of arteries, and hence a strain in blood pressure won't have a notable change. Regular exercise is also known to help significantly in reducing the risks for cardiovascular diseases by reduces the chances of blockages or clots forming on the arteries. Reduction of the possibilities of development of clots or damages on the arteries, subsequently, enhances a smooth flow of blood between the heart, and other body organs.

According to a recent report by the American Heart Association, over 250,000 deaths are experienced every year in the U.S due to lack of physical exercise (Benjamin et al., 2019). Living an inactive life is one of the top five factors that contribute significantly to cardiovascular diseases. The other risk factors include obesity, smoking, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. Due to the substantial contribution of physical exercise in controlling cardiovascular diseases, the American Heart Association advises healthcare providers to include physical training in their efforts to reduce the severity of cardiovascular diseases. There is also existing evidence that physical exercise helps to reduce stress levels (Tsutsui & Matsushima, (2011). Generally, individuals who engage in regular exercises are less depressed, and they have an appealing outlook. Since stress is a notable risk factor for cardiovascular infections, physical exercise will help substantially in controlling it.

References

Benatti, F. B., Lira, F. S., & Oyama, L. M. (2011). Strategies for reducing body fat mass: effects of liposuction and exercise on cardiovascular risk factors and adiposity. Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity: targets and therapy, 4, 141.

Benjamin, E. J., Muntner, P., Alonso, A., Bittencourt, M. S., Callaway, C. W., Carson, A. P., ... & Delling, F. N. (2017). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2019 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation, CIR-0000000000000659.

Dalhoff, B. (2010). Cardiovascular disease risk factors: epidemiology and risk assessment. The American journal of cardiology, 105(1), 3A-9A.

Roth, G. A., Johnson, C. O., Abate, K. H., Abd-Allah, F., Ahmed, M., Alam, K., ... & Atey, T. M. (2018). The burden of cardiovascular diseases among US states, 1990-2016. JAMA cardiology, 3(5), 375-389.

Tsutsui, H., Kinugawa, S., & Matsushima, S. (2011). Oxidative stress and heart failure. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

Zhao, G., Ford, E. S., Li, C., Tsai, J., Dhingra, S., & Balluz, L. S. (2011). Waist circumference, abdominal obesity, and depression among overweight and obese US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006. BMC psychiatry, 11(1), 130.