Chapter 11 - Cardiovascular Wellness

CHAPTER 11 - CARDIOVASCULAR WELLNESS

I. Introduction

Advances in medicine have helped to get rid of the common diseases that were prevalent in the early 20th Century like influenza, polio, and tuberculosis.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) – the array of conditions that affect the heart and the blood vessels (EX: strokes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease or CHD)
Prevention is the key to help fight the increasing number of CVD

Beginning of 21st Century – CVD leading cause of death in U.S. (37 %)
Although CVD is #1 health problem in U.S., there has been a decrease of 26 % of cases from 1960 – 2000 mainly due to health education and better treatment.
Studies have shown that risk of death from CVD is higher in the less-educated compared with the most-educated people.
Just in 2006, the estimated cost of CVD was around 400 billion dollars

Coronary Heart Disease – condition in which the arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients are narrowed by fatty deposits, such as cholesterol and triglycerides.
*CHD IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES (20 % of all deaths).
Approximately half of people who die from CHD had NO previous symptoms.
Almost ALL risk factors of CHD are preventable and reversible
LEADING RISK FACTORS FOR CHD
Physical inactivity
Low HDL cholesterol
Elevated LDL cholesterol
Smoking
High Blood Pressure
Diabetes
Excessive Body Fat
Abnormal ECG (not preventable)
Family history of heart disease (not preventable)
Personal History of heart disease
Elevated triglycerides
Tension and stress
Age (not preventable)

When people do little or no physical activity, there cardiorespiratory endurance is low. Remember cardiorespiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels to deliver oxygen to the muscles in the body.
Physical Activity causes:
Increases cardio endurance
Decreases and controls blood pressure
Reduces body fat
Lowers blood lipids
Improves HDL cholesterol
Prevents diabetes
Alleviates tension and stress
Counteracts a personal history of heart disease

Six Major Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease (American Heart Association)
Physical Inactivity
Smoking
Poor cholesterol profile
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Higher levels of cardiovascular endurance = longer life
Although even small improvements in cardiovascular endurance greatly decrease the risk from dying of a CVD

Cholesterol – a waxy substance, technically a steroid alcohol, found only in animal fats and oil; used in making cell membranes, as a building block for some hormones, in the fatty sheath around nerve fibers, and in other necessary substances.
Angina pectoris (chest pain) does not occur until 75 % of the arteries are already blocked.
LDL cholesterol – low density lipoprotein, bad cholesterol
Tends to release cholesterol in the blood stream, which causes atherosclerosis (hardening of artery walls) to speed up.
The antioxidants Vitamin C & E have been found to help slow the process of atherosclerosis caused by LDL
LDL cholesterol can be lowered by:
Losing body fat
Changing diet (eating less saturated fat and cholesterol)
Aerobic exercise
Taking cholesterol lowering medication
Eating 25 – 38 grams of fiber daily (choleric intake less than 30 % fat)
HDL cholesterol –high density lipoprotein, good cholesterol
Tends to attract cholesterol and remove it from the blood stream (reverse cholesterol transport)
HDL is determined genetically. Women have more HDL , then men do. This is the reason why heart disease is less prevalent in women.
HDL decreases with age
Low-Fat Diets
One study showed that after 3 weeks of choleric intake of less than 10 % fat, and a regular aerobic exercise program (primarily walking) the participants lowered cholesterol level by an average of 23 %

Blood pressure – a measure of the force exerted against the walls of blood vessels by the blood flowing through them.
Ideal blood pressure reading: 120/80 or below
# on top (120) called systolic blood pressure – pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries during the forceful contraction of the heart.
# on bottom (80) called diastolic blood pressure – pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries during the relaxation phase of the heart.

Hypertension is known as the silent killer. It does not hurt, it does not make you feel sick, and unless you check it you might not even know you have it.
Hypertension destroys the artery walls.

VII. Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus – A disease in which the body doesn’t produce or utilize insulin properly.
Insulin – Hormone secreted by the pancreas; essential for proper metabolism of blood glucose (sugar) and maintenance of blood glucose level.
Type 1 Diabetes – Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), a condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin; also known as juvenile diabetes because it is seen primarily in young people.
Type 2 Diabetes – Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), a condition in which insulin is not processed properly; also known as adult-onset diabetes.
More than 80 % of all Type 2 diabetes are overweight or have a history of excessive weight. In most cases this can be corrected through a special diet and aerobic exercise.
More than 80 % of people with diabetes die from cardiovascular disease.
People with chronically elevated blood glucose levels may have problems metabolizing fats, which increases the chance of getting CVD

VIII. Smoking

Cigarette smoking is the single largest preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States.
Smoking can cause: CVD, cancer, bronchitis, emphysema, and peptic ulcers
Smoking speeds up atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries).
Destroys inner lay of arteries

IX. Personal and Family History

Risk goes up if you have had previous history
If family has had a heart disease before age 60, then you are at greater risk than someone who has not.

X. Tension and Stress

People who are unable to relieve stress put a constant strain on the cardiovascular system that could increase chances of CVD
Tension and stress cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

XI. Age

Mainly this is a risk factor for CVD because people become more inactive as they get older, which causes your heart, lungs, and blood vessels to become weaker.