Cardiovascular Disease
K. Kelley
HCA/240
May 4, 2012
Dr. Alex Kadrie
Cardiovascular disease is a common chronic illness in our society and it causes over half the deaths in the US each year. It affects all aspects of the heart. It affects the arteries that supply blood to the heart, the valves which pumps the blood and the heart muscles, itself. People who don’t take care of themselves can develop cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart attacks, congestive heart failure or strokes. A patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease increases if they smoke, don’t exercise or eat unhealthy food. These causes are within a patient’s control but there are three risk factors that is out of control of the patient and that is age, male gender and family history.
The symptoms of heart disease could range from fatigue to shortness of the breath. Patients struggling with the disease congestive heart failure experience an enlarging of the heart muscle and fluid backs into the lungs, kidneys and legs. The most common symptom is really shortness of breath which will only get worse when the patient try to perform their daily routines. The second main symptom is fatigue. Patients feel tired and worn out, and cannot perform normal daily activities. Patients may also experience fluid in their ankles and legs. Physicians can manage cardiovascular disease with Beta-blockers which is a protective medication given to patients that have had heart attacks. It controls the patient’s blood pressure and controls the chest discomfort due to a blockage in the artery called angina.
Cardiovascular disease can be prevented if patients follow the instructions of their physicians and adopt a healthier lifestyle. This would mean exercising 3-5 days a week for about 20-30 minutes. Patients should drastically reduce the foods they eat that are high in saturated fats, sugar and cholesterol. They should also control
HCA/240
May 4, 2012
Dr. Alex Kadrie
Cardiovascular disease is a common chronic illness in our society and it causes over half the deaths in the US each year. It affects all aspects of the heart. It affects the arteries that supply blood to the heart, the valves which pumps the blood and the heart muscles, itself. People who don’t take care of themselves can develop cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart attacks, congestive heart failure or strokes. A patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease increases if they smoke, don’t exercise or eat unhealthy food. These causes are within a patient’s control but there are three risk factors that is out of control of the patient and that is age, male gender and family history.
The symptoms of heart disease could range from fatigue to shortness of the breath. Patients struggling with the disease congestive heart failure experience an enlarging of the heart muscle and fluid backs into the lungs, kidneys and legs. The most common symptom is really shortness of breath which will only get worse when the patient try to perform their daily routines. The second main symptom is fatigue. Patients feel tired and worn out, and cannot perform normal daily activities. Patients may also experience fluid in their ankles and legs. Physicians can manage cardiovascular disease with Beta-blockers which is a protective medication given to patients that have had heart attacks. It controls the patient’s blood pressure and controls the chest discomfort due to a blockage in the artery called angina.
Cardiovascular disease can be prevented if patients follow the instructions of their physicians and adopt a healthier lifestyle. This would mean exercising 3-5 days a week for about 20-30 minutes. Patients should drastically reduce the foods they eat that are high in saturated fats, sugar and cholesterol. They should also control
References: Adolph M. Hutter, Jr., MD Suzanne Hughes, MSN, RN http://galegroup.healthology.com/hybrid/hybrid-autodetect.aspx?content_id=3576&focus_handle=heart-disease-preventing&brand_name=galegroup http://galegroup.healthology.com/hybrid/hybrid-autodetect.aspx?content_id=1818&focus_handle=congestive-heart-failure&brand_name=galegroup