About Heart Disease
with
Dr. Kenneth Phillips, Advanced Healthcare
Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer in the United States.
Cardiovascular diseases - principally coronary artery disease, heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure - kill nearly a million Americans each year, making it the leading cause of death and disability among men and women of all racial and ethnic groups.
About 62 million Americans live with cardiovascular disease, which in 2002 is expected to cost the nation an estimated $392.2 billion in healthcare expenditures and lost productivity. The burden continues to grow as the population ages.
Besides being aware of the warning signs of heart disease and responding immediately when they occur, people can reduce their chances of disease through lifestyle changes: being physically active, eating a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables and not smoking.
The challenge for healthcare professionals is to begin comprehensive reduction for more patients at an earlier stage of their disease. "You may not know you have heart disease or that you are predisposed to getting it because early heart disease is essentially asymptomatic. But with the technology that exists today, early heart disease can be detected. We're even checking cholesterol levels in many children because we know that proper diet and lowered cholesterol will reduce their future risk of developing cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Kenneth Phillips, cardiologist, with Advanced Healthcare.
Patients need to take control of their health, but they also need to depend on their doctor to maintain it, said Dr. Phillips. "People should feel comfortable openly communicating their questions and concerns so their physician can properly care for them and, if needed, order the appropriate test that may show the presence of disease."
What is cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular disease is any disorder of the heart arteries, heart muscle or valves, or vascular disease such as stroke or hypertension.
Coronary artery disease is a narrowing of the arteries that feed blood to the heart. Like any muscle, the heart needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which are carried to it by the blood in the coronary arteries.
When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits - a process called atherosclerosis - and cannot supply enough blood to the heart, the result is coronary heart disease, which may lead to a heart attack, or a weakened heart muscle.
If not enough oxygen-carrying blood reaches the heart, you may experience chest pain or discomfort called angina. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. This is usually due to a sudden closure from a blood clot forming on top of a previous narrowing.
"Family history plays a significant role in the risk of developing coronary artery disease. Proper diet, exercise and control of other risk factors, such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking can help prevent the development and progression of blocked arteries," Dr. Phillips said. "In some cases, aggressive risk factor modification can lead to some regression of arteriosclerosis."
Many people, however, wait too long to see their physician, according to Dr. Phillips. They ignore the warning signs and persistent symptoms until a heart attack occurs. "Frequently, modification of their risk factors have not been properly managed. This greatly increases the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease," he said. "A strong doctor-patient relationship with open communication and proper testing and treatment can help patients maintain good health."
