Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of deaths in the country today. To see yourself lead a healthy life, it is important to know about and prevent heart disease. Here are a few things you must know about heart disease and what causes it:
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Meaning
To state simply, Heart disease is an umbrella term for any kind of disease or disorder that affects the heart. It means the same as ‘cardiac disease’ but not ‘cardiovascular disease’. When one says ‘cardiovascular disease’, it refers to disorders of the heart as well as the blood vessels. On the other hand, ‘heart disease’ or ‘cardiac disease’ refers to just the heart.
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Causes
Heart Disease is caused by an inflammatory process resulting from different factors. Cholesterol, nicotine (smoking) and glucose (Blood sugar) are some of the main factors.
Irritants like these can inflame the delicate lining of the arteries. In response to this inflammation, the arteries start to form plaque.
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How does a heart attack occur?
Well, a heart attack occurs when this plaque becomes so inflamed that it ruptures. It breaks off and forms a clot that blocks the artery and hence, the blood flow to the heart is cut.
Sometimes the blockage leads to a fatal rhythm problem and death. If not, then the patient is rushed to the hospital and a drug is given to dissolve that clot, angioplasty to open up the artery, or surgery.
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Prevention
As they say, prevention is always better than cure! It is true that heart disease can also occur to people who seem perfectly healthy, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything to prevent it. Keep your heart healthy with these 5 simple tips: Eat Healthy, Be Active, Quit Smoking, Beat Stress, Get A Heart Check.
