...Contributors to Heart Disease and Preventive Measures Contributors to Heart Disease and Preventive Measures Heart Disease is a condition in which blood to the heart is deficient because of narrowing or constricting of the cardiac vessels that supply it. Heart Disease is also one of the most common causes of death. There is several health and behavioral factors that can increase an individuals risk of heart disease. One factor is hypertension or high blood pressure. This can be caused by obesity, too much salt intake, high alcohol consumption, etc. Another factor that can increase the risk of heart disease is cigarette smoking. Smoking destroys the enzyme that prevents cholesterol buildup in the arteries, making the walls narrower causing blockage. Obesity can also increase an individuals risk to heart disease. As body weight increases, the volume of blood also increases forcing a high output of blood from the heart. All the changes in the structure and functioning of the heart and the number of metabolic abnormalities caused by obesity makes an individual more susceptible to this disease. Some other factors leading to heart disease are inactivity, stress, and family history of heart attack. An individual can take many preventive measures to reduce their risk of getting heart disease. Weight control is probably one of the most effective measures. By watching what one eats, controlling their salt intake, maintaining...
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...Psychology and Health Problem Axia College/ Ps In this essay I will explain how the multi-factorial model of psychology affects a person’s psychological state and health, since they usually go hand and hand. The multi-factorial model is used by psychologists to examine how biological factors, environmental factors, sociocultural factors, personality factors, behavioral responses, and various stressors are connected to health. Biological factors include genetics, gender, age, ethnicity, medical history, and a person's family history of diseases or illnesses. Biological factors are pivotal to understanding the multi-factorial model because it aids researchers in identifying the diseases and other ailments that are a part of someone's family history. For example, if illnesses such as Alzheimer's and heart disease have been a part of an individual's family for many years that person may be predisposed to these illnesses, which increases their likelihood of getting these illnesses more than other people who do not have the family history of Alzheimer's and heart disease. Another part of the multi-factorial is environmental factors, including natural disasters, pollution, and water quality. Pollution is an environmental issue that can cause to illnesses. Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas found in cigarette smoke, auto fumes, and smog, decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood (Nevid and Rathus, 2005). Carbon monoxide affects...
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...Review Cardiovascular Disease Susan A. Hensley Excelsior College Abstract Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the foremost origins of morbidity and mortality in the United States today, and the rates have grown exponentially over the last few decades. There is a number of health related factors and behaviors that contribute to the onset of CVD and its contribution to other well-known diseases. Implementing appropriate life style changes, certain medications, and education can contribute to the early detection of CVD and can have the potential to modify or alter the course of this deadly disease. Kehler, Christensen, Risor, Lauritzen, and Christensen (2009), reported “that patients who had a discussion with their doctor about cardiovascular disease including information about the disease, knowledge about the disease, and perception of risk and prevention strategies indicated that they were able to incorporate healthy lifestyle changes into their diet”. Through education and recognition, healthcare providers can assist patients in achieving healthy lifestyles and initiate ways to decrease risk factors associated with CVD. The health promotion model (HPM) can be utilized to enhance patients’ awareness for prevention, intervention, and perception of risks related CVD. The contents included in this paper will discuss how CVD is defined medically and through patients’ perspectives; the prevalence of CVD in the United States; precipitating factors of CVD; vulnerable groups...
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...or her daily lives. “The likelihood of contracting an illness—be it the flu or cancer— can reflect the interaction of many factors, including genetic factors and lifestyle factors” (Nevid & Rathus, 2005, pg 128). Studies in health psychology have revealed that there is not a distinct straightforward answer to the multitude of questions that arise. When determining how one’s health and susceptibility to stress-related illness is affected, the multifactoral model illustrates a wide range of factors that consist of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors as well as the interactions of each. This paper will discuss potential health problems associated with each factor and how psychology’s role helps to recognize and control these health concerns. Biological factors are one of the apparent roles that help to determine the risk of an individual illness. Because biological factors are linked to an individual’s genetics, these factors are not able to be controlled by individuals. Some of these biological factors include inoculations, age, gender, injuries, birth defects disabilities, and family history disease. Most of these issues are a lifelong factor that begins in an individual’s childhood. Considering an individual’s genetics, one can determine if a person can acquire a behavior trait or become diagnosed with breast cancer or heart disease. One example would be an individual that drinks alcohol excessively triggered by his or her genetics and family history....
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...younger (detriment to growth and development). These components focus not only on the patterns of consumption, more so the volume of alcohol consumption in a time frame. The volume and patterns of alcohol consumption indicate health-risk behaviors,...
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...Health Risks of Obesity DeVry Composition ENGL135 Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Health Risks of Obesity One might conclude by watching several days of television that this land and country has become a battleground between the fast food business and the diet industry. Caught in the middle of this seemingly ongoing mayhem, are those who many times find themselves without an escape route. Even though the fast food industries, and others, attempt to sweep countless documented truths under the rug, the facts are many that obesity increases numerous health risks. The physical health risks of this illness are many, but there are also emotional and behavioral ones as well. A small number of those physical risks are heart disease, Type II diabetes, various cancers and hypertension. Because of obesity's many ill effects on our nation, and populace, a definitive position personally needs taken in an effort to reduce, if not completely eliminate it. Obesity is one of the major risk factors attributing to coronary heart disease. In fact, the American Heart Association has recently upgraded obesity from a contributing risk factor to a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, thereby acknowledging that obesity is a lifelong disease that is becoming a dangerous epidemic with high rates of morbidity and mortality. (Waine, pg. 2). Coronary heart disease is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries, also know as atherosclerosis (Fig...
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...promotion and other public health programs to meet those needs. PRECEDE: (Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling Constructs in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation) outlines a diagnostic planning process to assist in the development of targeted and focused public health programs. It has four phases * Phase 1: Social Diagnosis- Identifying the ultimate desired result. * Phase 2: Epidemiological, Behavioral, and Environmental Diagnosis- Identifying and setting priorities among health or community issues and their behavioral and environmental determinants that stand in the way of achieving that result, or conditions that have to be attained to achieve that result; and identifying the behaviors, lifestyles, and/or environmental factors that affect those issues or conditions. * Phase 3: Educational and Ecological Diagnosis- Identifying the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors that can affect the behaviors, attitudes, and environmental factors given priority in Phase 2. * Phase 4: Administrative and Policy Diagnosis- Identifying the administrative and policy factors that influence what can be implemented. PROCEED: (Policy, Regulatory, and Organizational Constructs in Educational and Environmental Development) guides the implementation and evaluation of the programs designed using PROCEED. It has four phases that cover the actual implementation of the intervention and the careful evaluation of it, working back to the original starting point – the ultimate desired...
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...Childhood Obesity Family-based treatment is more effective than individual treatment for childhood obesity diagnoses in America. Childhood obesity is a medical condition in which a child has excessive body mass index for the child’s age and height. Childhood obesity is a growing problem which has led to an epidemic in America. There are several contributing factors which lead adolescents to be diagnosed with pediatric obesity. Some American medical professionals are focusing on preventing and diminishing pediatric obesity with individual treatment, however, according to the American Heart Association, If parents are unhealthy, children are likely to be unhealthy too” (American Heart Association, 2011). Family-based treatment regulates the effects of childhood obesity over the long term versus individual treatment for adolescents and teenagers, which is a short term solution. Childhood obesity affects one in three children and teens in the United States, causing the rate to triple since 1963 (American Heart Association, 2011). Pediatric obesity involves children two to twenty years of age, where the child or teen has excessive body fat for their age and sex. Excessive body fat occurs when energy ingested is more than energy burned off by a child or teenager. A few symptoms of child obesity are sleep apnea; when a child or teen stops breathing in his or her sleep for a short period of time, hip or knee pain, difficulty in breathing such as; asthma, headaches, skin conditions...
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...on the specific factors related to healthy aging, along with the benefits of exercising for the elderly including the heart disease risk factors which can be modified by an effective exercise program. Elderly people in particular could find the advantages of a fitness program to relate to the concept of healthy aging. Successful aging refers to the acquisition of optimal mental and physical health in the process of growing old (Quadagno, 2011, p. 4). The healthy aging process encompasses both individual and societal factors, while promotion of wellbeing in older people relates to specific lifestyle changes. While function and health decline is to be expected, the risk factors which can lead to poor health in the elderly can be modified through the basics of proper nutrition and exercise (Shields & Martel, 2006, p. 7). Exercise has proven to be beneficial for improving and maintaining good health; in the elderly, regular exercise promotes immunity, cardiovascular and cardio-respiratory function, bone density, gastrointestinal function, and a lower risk for cancers and Alzheimer’s disease (Sollitto, 2011, p. 1). Any elderly person can benefit greatly from a fitness program, especially those with specific risk factors which could manifest in the process of growing older. While genetic risk factors such as a predisposition for heart issues can increase the likelihood of heart disease, lifestyle and behavioral choices are conducive for developing the disease (Quadagno, 2011...
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...Disorders at Risk for Heart Attack and Stroke. This article talked about people with mental and behavioral disorders being twice as likely to have heart disease or strokes. The article states that cardiovascular congress of Canada did a study about how this could be possible. The population is already at risk for stroke and heart attack, but if you have a mental disability the chance is greater. There were also some doctors that surveyed and explored data from the Canadian community. They were looked at and then there was an association between the cardiovascular risk and disease, and mental health disorders. They also looked at the uses of medications used for mental disorders as well. What the article showed was that people who have had mental health issues probably have heart disease. Those who have not had heart disease or stroke are more likely to be at a high long-term risk of developing it when compared to general population. People with psychiatric medications are twice as likely to have heart disease three times as likely to have a stroke. This study that they are speaking of are usually are for people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, major depression, anxiety, but the medications are looked upon as maybe having something to do with this diagnosis as well. The medications that the article spoke of were Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotic. There are 3 main factors that elevate the risk. People with mental and behavioral issues usually...
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...biological risk (including age-related risk), environmental risk (including economic risk), and behavioral risk contribute to family health risks for those objectives noted by Health People 2020. The two objectives that will be discussed include smoking, to include health related problems that result in this behavior, and respiratory illnesses, including Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Within the paper, prevention of exacerbation will also be noted as it relates to each illness. Tobacco Use Scientific knowledge about the health effects of tobacco use has increased greatly since the first Surgeon General’s report on tobacco was released in 1964. The most successful interventions of many clinical trials incorporated elements of social or organizational change to modify individual behavioral risk factors, such as alcohol and tobacco consumption, diet, and physical activity. Most behaviors are not randomly distributed in the population, but rather are socially patterned and often cluster with one another. Thus, many people who drink also smoke cigarettes, and those who follow health-promoting dietary practices also tend to be physically active. People who are poor, have low levels of education, or are socially isolated are more likely to engage in a wide array of risk-related behaviors and less likely to engage in health-promoting ones. Tobacco use has been proven to causes illnesses such as Cancer, Heart disease...
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...since it’s Healthy People 2010, 12-7, predecessor. History The Healthy People initiative was introduced in 1979, by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in an effort to provide a systematic approach to improving health (Koh, 2010). The plans, known as HP 1990-Promoting Health/Preventing Disease (Centers for Disease Control, 2011), Healthy People 2000, Healthy People 2010 and the current Healthy People 2020 have focused on identifying health priorities and aligning the strategies to effectively implement those strategies. The goals related to each version of the initiative have changed, as have the number of objectives/measures. HP 1990 goals were to decrease mortality in infants and adults and to increase the independence among older adults while the Healthy People 2020 goals were aimed at: - attaining high quality, longer lives - achieving health equity, eliminating disparities - creating social and physical environments that promote good health - promoting quality of life, healthy development, healthy behaviors (Centers for Disease Control, 2011) Literature Review One can see that the earlier goals were focused on treatment and outcomes and new goals now look at how we...
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...healthy lifestyle. The term is normally used by doctors or professionals within the medical field to explain a lifestyle among many people in highly developed countries that does not afford them opportunities for physical activity. Technology such as television, video games, and computer use is partly to blame for this way of life. Other reasons surrounding this lifestyle can be contributed to inactive living with such high demands for the work force and just being lazy. As much as technology has developed and contributed to the further advancement of the world, it has also been a curse when it comes to a sedentary lifestyle. Emotional factors such as depression can have a lot to do with sedentary lifestyle. “A study of physical activity in more than 7,000 teenagers found that inactivity is associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Teens with less than one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week had more symptoms of anxiety, withdrawal, depression, sleep problems, rule-breaking behaviors, attention problems, and somatic complaints (body pain). Study author Marko T. Kantomaa stated in an American College of Sports Medicine news release, "Negative mental and emotional effects brought on by physical inactivity does not help young...
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...multifactorial model is “the belief that health and illness are a function of multiple factors involving biological, psychological, and cultural domains and their interactions” (p.126). The multifactorial model attempts to measure the likelihood of a person to contract or develop an illness such as the flu or cancer. The model outlines the likelihood of contracting a specific illness depends on the interactions between different factors. Environmental, sociocultural, biological, and even psychological factors can affect a person’s health. Nevid and Rathus (2005) break the multifactorial method factors down into six main groups of factors that play a part in a person’s health and his or her susceptibility to different illnesses. The six main factors in the multifactorial model are; biological, sociocultural, environmental, personality, behavior, and stressors (p.126). Each of the six factors contains several influences that can affect or determine the likelihood for illness. A person has control over some of these factors and others are completely beyond control. The physical, emotional, and cognitive effects of stress along with the psychological factors play various roles in a person’s health. In psychology the area that studies what the relationship is between certain factors and the prevention of certain illnesses or treatment of illnesses is known as health psychology. Understanding these factors and what measures a person can implement to guard against certain illnesses or...
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...Obesity is associated with unhealthy cholesterol levels and impaired heart function. It is estimated that if all Americans had a healthy body composition, the incidence of coronary heart disease would drop by 25%. Other health risks associated with obesity include hypertension, many kinds of cancer, impaired immune function, gallbladder and kidney diseases, and bone and joint disorders. These risks from obesity increase with its severity, and they are much more likely to occur in people who are more than twice their desirable body weight. The effects of obesity on health were further clarified by the Nurses’ Health Study, in which Harvard researchers have followed more than 120,000 women for over 16 years. It found that even mildly overweight women had an 80% increased risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to leaner women. This study also confirmed that to reduce the risk of dying prematurely of any cause, maintaining a desirable body weight is important. The distribution of body fat is also an important indicator of future health. People who tend to gain weight in the abdominal area have a risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke twice as high as those who tend to gain weight in the hip area. The reason for this increased risk is not entirely clear, but it appears that fat in the abdomen is more easily mobilized and sent into the bloodstream, increasing disease-related blood fat...
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