Health Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Heart Attack | Coronary Artery Disease | Cholesterol | Stents | Heart Bypass Surgery

Under Construction


 
Cardiovascular Disease also called Heart Disease is the main cause of death in americans:

Some problems are:

  • Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): - Atherosclerosis - A build up of plaque on coronary arteries.
  • Arrhythmia: This is an abnormal rhythm of the heart.
  • Heart valve problems: When heart valves don't open enough to allow the blood to flow through as it should, it's called stenosis.
Consequences:

Maintaining Cardiovascular Health: - Prevention
The main drivers of a healthy cardiovascular system are: diet and exercise.
Diet:

  • You drink a moderate amount of alcohol. Avoid more - too much can be harmful.
  • You eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables on most days.
  • Your HDL cholesterol level is not too low.
  • You take a multivitamin or B complex supplement on most days.
  • You eat 3 or more servings of nuts per week.
  • You eat fewer than 2 servings of saturated fats (like butter, lard, red meat, cheese or whole milk) on most days.
  • You don't eat trans unsaturated fats (like stick margarine, vegetable shortening, store bought baked-goods or deep fried fast foods) on most days.
Search for "diet and exercise for cardiovascular health"

Exercise:

  • You are physically active for at least 30 minutes a day.
Other:
  • You are not regularly exposed to tobacco smoke.
  • You don't smoke cigarettes.
  • You don't have diabetes.
  • You do not have high blood pressure.
  • You have a healthy waist size. ≤ 40" for men and ≤ 35 for women

Daily Aspirin therapy:
Aspirin interferes with your blood's clotting action. It can prevent clots, which can form around vessels that are already narrowed from atherosclerosis. These clots can block blood flow to the heart and cause a heart attack.

Very low doses of aspirin --75 milligrams (mg), which is less than a standard baby aspirin -- can be effective. Your doctor will usually prescribe a daily dose anywhere from 81 mg -- the amount in a baby aspirin -- to 325 mg (a regular strength tablet).

A September 2015 report by Kaiser Permanente Research for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality of the Dept of Health and Human Services "Aspirin Use to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Colorectal Cancer: A Decision Analysis", says,
" Evidence indicates that aspirin is effective for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and colorectal cancer (CRC), but regular use also increases risk for gastrointestinal (GI) and cerebral hemorrhages.

They recommend aspirin therapy for adults aged 50-59 who are at high risk * for cardiovascular disease.

* High Risk = > 10% - See Risk below

Contrary to the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines, however, the new recommendations state there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest daily low-dose aspirin is beneficial for adults younger than 50 and older than 70.
See Adults in their 50s should take aspirin daily for heart attack, stroke prevention - Medical News Today

In 2014 the FDA said,
"For people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems, "the benefit has not been established but risks - such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach - are still present.".
See Daily aspirin to prevent first heart attack does not get FDA backing - Medical News Today


Risk of Heart Attack:
There ara a variety of algorithms for calculating the risk (probability) of a heart attack and/or stroke.
Note: My risk came up with 8%, but I had a 95% blockage of my main heart artery.
See Heart Attack Stroke Risk
Links:
Cardiovascular definition - MedicineNet
What is Cardiovascular Disease? | heart.org
Exercise:
Exercise and Cardiovascular disease
Diet:
Top Heart-Healthy Foods: Best Foods for Cardiovascular disease

Return to Health

last updated 15 Sep 2015