...What is coronary heart disease? Coronary heart disease is the name for the disease in which your hearts blood supply is blocked or partially blocked by a build-up of fatty acids, such as cholesterol and other waste substances, in the coronary arteries. This makes the arteries narrower and restricts blood flow. Arteries are ‘tubes’ that carry blood away from the heart. The coronary arteries are the first vessels that branch off from the aorta. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It transports and distributes oxygen rich blood to all arteries. The coronary arteries extend from the aorta to the heart walls supplying blood to the heart itself because like all other muscles the heart needs nutrients and oxygen too. Despite all the blood that flows through the heart, the heart can’t use any of the nutrients and other necessities from it, which is why it needs its own arteries. The chance of getting coronary heart disease is increased if you: * have high blood pressure * have a high blood cholesterol level * do not take regular exercise * have diabetes * have a family history of CHD * are obese/overweight * smoke Coronary heart disease can cause: * Chest pains – CHD can also cause Angina, a condition that causes severe pain in the chest. * Restricted blood flow in arteries – This can cause a fatal rhythm disturbance. * Faster and irregular heart beat * Nausea * Heart attacks What is a heart attack? A heart attack occurs when...
Words: 296 - Pages: 2
...you give your friends valentines and little heart-shaped candies on Valentine's Day? Do you ever cross your heart when making a promise that you really, really mean? Or turn on the radio to hear a guy singing about his broken heart? We see and hear about hearts everywhere. A long time ago, people even thought that their emotions came from their hearts, maybe because the heart beats faster when a person is scared or excited. Now we know that emotions come from the brain, and in this case, the brain tells the heart to speed up. So what's the heart up to, then? How does it keep busy? What does it look like? Let's find out. Working That Muscle Your heart is really a muscle. It's located a little to the left of the middle of your chest, and it's about the size of your fist. There are lots of muscles all over your body — in your arms, in your legs, in your back, even in your behind. But the heart muscle is special because of what it does. The heart sends blood around your body. The blood provides your body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs. It also carries away waste. Your heart is sort of like a pump, or two pumps in one. The right side of your heart receives blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs. The left side of the heart does the exact opposite: It receives blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the body. You probably guessed that the blood just doesn't slosh around your body once it leaves the heart. It moves through many tubes called arteries...
Words: 1498 - Pages: 6
...Research Paper The human heart is a very vital, interesting, and complex organ. It continuously pumps blood through the body for the entire life. It’s made of muscle and is very strong and yet at the same time, can be very vulnerable to disease. The heart is a very important organ. What's so unusual about it is that it is that it never gets tired. There are four parts of the heart, right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and the left ventricle. Oxygen-poor blood flows from the body and to the right atrium. Blood flows through the right atrium and into the right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs where the blood releases waste like carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen. The newly oxygen-rich blood returns to the heart and enters the left atrium. Then the blood flows through the left atrium and into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. The heart truly works in an amazing way by pumping blood through the circulatory system which is made up of blood vessels. Blood vessels are like bend-e straws except a stronger tube. Blood vessels carry blood to all the parts of the body. Blood carries fresh oxygen from the lungs and nutrients to the body’s tissues, it also takes the body’s waste products, including carbon dioxide away from the tissues. It’s necessary to sustain life and promote the health of all parts of the body. Arteries begin at the aorta, a large artery leaving the heart. Arteries carry oxygen-rich...
Words: 818 - Pages: 4
...Heart Health Center Image Collection: Human Anatomy Picture of the Heart © 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. The heart is a muscular organ about the size of a fist, located just behind and slightly left of the breastbone. The heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins called the cardiovascular system. The heart has four chambers: * The right atrium receives blood from the veins and pumps it to the right ventricle. * The right ventricle receives blood from the right atrium and pumps it to the lungs, where it is loaded with oxygen. * The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the left ventricle. * The left ventricle (the strongest chamber) pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. The left ventricle’s vigorous contractions create our blood pressure. The coronary arteries run along the surface of the heart and provide oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. A web of nerve tissue also runs through the heart, conducting the complex signals that govern contraction and relaxation. Surrounding the heart is a sac called the pericardium. Heart Conditions * Coronary artery disease: Over the years, cholesterol plaques can narrow the arteries supplying blood to the heart. The narrowed arteries are at higher risk for complete blockage from a sudden blood clot (this blockage is called a heart attack). * Stable angina pectoris: Narrowed coronary arteries cause predictable chest pain or discomfort with...
Words: 587 - Pages: 3
...Disease 1.What Is Heart Disease? The topic of heart disease usually centers on heart attacks but there are many other problems that can compromise heart functions, injure the heart tissues, or cause heart disease. Most of the major problems include coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy. The following slides will present these heart problems and their warning signs 2.Heart disease facts Heart disease refers to several conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. Arrhythmias, heart valve disease, congenital heart defects, and inflammation of the heart or its lining (the pericardium) are all diseases that affect the heart. However, this article will focus on the most common type of heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD). Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Over a million people each year will have a heart attack and 25% will die before they get to the hospital while or in the Emergency Department. Prevention is the key to treatment of heart disease. Diagnosis of heart disease is often made by careful history taken by a health care practitioner. Some individuals may have atypical symptoms, including almost none at all. The testing strategy to confirm the diagnosis and plan appropriate treatment needs to be individualized for each patient diagnosed with heart disease. Treatment of heart disease depends upon...
Words: 918 - Pages: 4
...Heart disease is accountable for more than 30% of all deaths; over 90% of the causes of this disease are preventable and controllable. The name heart disease is also known as coronary artery disease. The arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to and from the heart. When the blood vessels are blocked, normal blood flow is lost to the heart. The blockage is caused by plaque, which contains large amounts of cholesterol. This plaque builds up on the inside of the coronary arteries and decreases the flow of blood that feeds the heart. Once the blood flow is impaired, it causes damage to the heart muscle. Even though the name heart attack sounds major, permanent damage only kills a portion of the heart. Death occurs, as a result of impaired blood flow, when the heart starts beating abnormally because it cannot effectively pump blood through the body. Many people today who have heart disease have lifelong disabilities like chest pains, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Living with these disabilities can certainly decrease the quality of life one may have. Knowing ways to control heart disease will empower the choices to change the lifestyle. Some changes give the ability to modify the risks while other changes are impossible. For example, if heart disease attributes to family history and environmental factors, there is likely chance the generations to come will encounter the disease. Controllable changes include any current behaviors such as smoking, drinking...
Words: 770 - Pages: 4
...Disease The term heart disease is used to describe various types of heart conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in the United States. It is also a leading cause in disability in the United States. More than 616,000 Americans die each year because of heart disease (National Center 2012). In 2010, all cardiovascular diseases together projected to cost $444.2 billion according to the American Heart Association (National Center 2012). In the United States, coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common heart disease. Coronary heart disease can cause heart attacks, angina, heart failure and arrhythmias (CDC 2009). The coronary arteries are the first blood vessels that branch off from the ascending aorta on the heart. They supply blood to the atria, ventricles and septum of the heart. These arteries supply oxygenated and nutrient filled blood to the heart muscle. They consist of a right and left artery that surround the heart anterior and posterior (Bailey 2012). Coronary artery disease occurs when there is a buildup of plaque in the arteries. The plaque that builds up is made up of cholesterol deposits (CDC 2009). With the buildup of the plaque, the lumen of the arteries narrows over time (CDC 2009). When this process happens, it is known as atherosclerosis (CDC 2009). Atherosclerosis is a serious condition because it can lead to angina or discomfort. The most common symptom a person can experience is chest pain or discomfort because the heart muscle is not...
Words: 1017 - Pages: 5
...enjoyable ways of lowering the chances of developing heart disease. Regular exercise helps the heart to become stronger, so it can pump more blood around the body with less effort. Smoking avoidance not only reduces the risk of developing heart disease, but also the risk of many other serious illnesses, like cancer and emphysema. High blood pressure increases the chances of developing heart disease. There are usually no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure, so one may not be aware of having it. Therefore this needs to be checked with the doctor regularly. Alcohol avoidance is another preventive step to prevent heart diseases. People who drink heavily are more likely to die of heart disease than those who do not. Therefore, alcohol consumption should be in moderation. Eating habits are another important factor. Eating well can also help prevent heart disease. No one food can provide all the nutrition you need, so one must eat from a variety of foods every day from the following four food groups: 1. Bread, other cereals and potatoes 2.fruits and vegetables 3.low-fat milk and dairy foods 4. Meat, fish and alternatives such as beans and lentils. Although the heart is designed to last one well for one's whole life, but one must take care of it and follow the healthy life style measures and steps as discussed above. Types of Heart Diseases Summary: The main focus of this paper is to highlight the types of heart diseases Heart disease is a name given to a variety of conditions...
Words: 808 - Pages: 4
...Coronary Heart Disease Coronary heart disease is the most common of heart diseases. Nearly 500,000 Americans die each year from CHD. This type of heart disease is caused by narrowing or clogging of the coronary arteries. CHD is the number one killer in both men and women in the U.S. these deaths could be prevented because CHD is related to certain aspects of one’s life. The risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, and no physical activities- all of which can be controlled. The heart needs a constant supple of nutrients and oxygen that is supplied by the blood that is carried to the coronary arteries. When the coronary arteries become clogged or narrow and cannot deliver enough blood to the heart, the result is CHD. When there is not enough blood reaching the heart, the heart will respond with pain call angina. This pain is usually felt sometimes in the left arm and shoulder or in the chest. However sometimes there are no symptoms, which is a condition called silent angina. Once the blood supply is cut off completely the results are a heart attack. CHD is the result of a process known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs when a person has fat like substances in the blood. This process is caused by a thickening which narrows the arteries over time by deposits of plaque. Plaque is a buildup of materials such as: * Cholesterol * Fats * Platelets * Cell wastes * Calcium At a young age plaque can start to deposit in...
Words: 413 - Pages: 2
...The Rental Heart is a short story written by Kirsty Logan. In this science fiction story we follow the main characters use of rental hearts. You can rent hearts as many times as you want to, and you can put them in your chest, so whenever you get your heart broken, you can just go to the rental store and rent a new one, and that’s what this story is about. The Rental Heart isn’t written chronologic, so it leaps in time. In this story the narrator also uses flashbacks: “Jacob was as solid and golden as tilled field, and our love was going to last forever, which in our age meant six months. Every time Jacob touched me, I felt my heart thud wetly against my lungs”. In the beginning we hear about the main character telling us, that is was the day after he met Grace he went to the rental store, where he hasn’t been for over ten years. When we hear what he thinks of Grace and the rental hearts, we get a feeling of a problem. We don’t know how many years the story courses, but we’ll assume that it’s from the main character is a teenager, to he is an adult person, because he tells us that his first love was meant to last forever and at their age it meant six months. We can tell that the story takes place in future, because you can rent hearts. The main character can be both a man and a woman, because the person is attracted both sexes, and therefor is bisexual. The story is written in first person narrator, and we hear the story from the main characters point of...
Words: 287 - Pages: 2
...What is heart disease? Heart disease is a broad term used to describe diseases of the heart and the blood vessels around and through the heart. There are more than Eighty millions Americans that are affected by one or more types of heart disease. (Donatelle., 2011) This is a staggering number of Americans that have this disease. While this statistic does entail all of the different types of heart diseases we can get it still goes to show how much we are affect by problems with our hearts. While some people are born with defects or the disease may be hereditary, we can still avoid it. For some it may be a life change to avoid some risk of the disease. Having a heart attack will require a life change as well. Why not make the changes now before the disease hits us? It is important to be communicative with our doctors about our risk. It is good to research for information about how you as an individual can avoid certain risk factors. Knowing if there is family history of heart disease can help significantly with prevention. Even if some of us are diagnosed with heart disease there is help and treatment for the disease. Some may require surgery and some may not. There are usually some options a patient can take when being treated. Donatelle., R. J. (2011). Health: The Basics, Green Edition, Ninth Edition. Benjamin Cummings. Slide 2 It is highly important to be well aware of any risk factors that you may be susceptible too when it comes to heart disease. Since the heart is a vital...
Words: 2534 - Pages: 11
...BEL 492 PRESENTATION 2 OUTLINE “HEART ATTACKS” NAME : AMIRRUL AMMAR BIN ADAM MATRIX NO. : 2012846772 LECTURER : DR. ZAMNAH HUSIN Introduction I. We are at higher risk of getting a cardiovascular disease if your male family members like your father or brother has suffered a heart attack before the age of 55, or your female relatives have suffered one before the age of 65. II. The risk is elevated to a 50% chance if both your parents have cardiovascular disease before the age of 55. Body I. Heart attacks and strokes are usually acute events and are mainly caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or brain. A. This occurs most likely because of blockage resulted from blood clots or fat build ups in the coronary arteries (World Health Organization (WHO) ). B. There are many risk factors associated with the coronary heart disease 1. The major risk factors are the tobacco use, alcohol use, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet (World Heart Federation). II. There no symptoms of the underlying disease of he blood vessels. A heart attack may be the first warning of underlying disease. Symptoms of the heart attacks include: A. Pain or discomfort in the centre of the chest. B. Pain or discomfort in the arms, the left shoulder, elbows, jaw or back C. In addition the person may experience difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, feeling...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Heart Dissection I. Purpose The purpose of this lab was to practice dissection skills and to further our knowledge of the heart. From this lab we learnt about the parts and functions of the heart. For example, the different chambers, the veins, and the arteries that all run through the heart. Through careful observation we were able to identify all of the main parts of the heart that keep blood pumping through our body and were able to determine the important structures. Because of this lab I can successfully label a diagram and explain the use for each part of the heart. II. Procedure a. Materials i. Sheep Heart ii. Scalpel iii. Dissection Pan iv. Dissection Pins v. Tweezers vi. Gloves… (If you remember) vii. Camera for Pictures b. Procedure Because sheep hearts are so cheap and readily available, they are the most common use for this type of experiment. We began the lab by observing the external anatomy. We first observed that the heart did not have a pericardium. The pericardium is the body’s way of protecting the heart and separates it from the rest of the thoracic cavity. If it were present we would have cut it away to reveal the white lumpy tissue. The white lumpy tissue is fat tissue. The bulk of the heart tissue is the reddish brown muscle or myocardium. We placed the heart down showing the ventral side to reveal the following features: Apex, Superior Vena Cava, Inferior...
Words: 726 - Pages: 3
...The heart and its functions Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is also known called “a hole in the heart.” The defect presents a hole in the wall (septum) that separates the upper chambers of the heart. The hole can be a variety of sizes, and it is possible for the hole to close naturally or through surgical intervention. Many times babies born with this defect do not exhibit signs and symptoms. However larger untreated holes in babies may cause lung and respiratory infections, fatigue during feedings, shortness of breath during activity, a heart murmur, swelling of the extremities and stroke. Larger holes cause the amount of blood being pumped to the lungs to increase, and may lead to unusual heart rhythm and stroke. In contrast to Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). The hole in VSD is located between the left and right ventricles of the heart as opposed to between the two atriums. This defect will cause oxygenated and deoxygenated blood of the two chambers to mix in the right ventricle causing severe symptoms. Symptoms include fatigue, rapid respiration, dyspnea, poor weight gain, and poor nutritional intake. In contrast to Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) the symptoms exhibited in Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) will start almost immediately after birth rather than later in life. The mechanical heart requires several essential characteristics. The first is energy transmission, because without a reliable and consistent power supply the device would not be able...
Words: 317 - Pages: 2
...The Human Heart versus the Artificial Heart As one of the most vital organs, the heart can viewed as the engine of the body. Without proper upkeep, like any engine, the heart will malfunction. Heart malfunctions only have negative results, such as heart failure and other fatal diseases. The heart is essentially a shell containing four cavities; two atriums and two ventricles. Each side of the heart contains one atrium and one ventricle and is separated in the middle by a wall known as the septum. The heart is responsible for pumping blood from your head to the tip of your toes. Oxygen deprived blood flows into the heart, is pumped through the ventricles and atria, then sent to the lungs to be enriched with oxygen and have carbon dioxide removed. Finally and lastly, the blood is sent back to the heart, where it is then pumped throughout the entire body. Beginning at birth, the size of your heart correlates with the size of your fist. As you grow, your heart does as well. Most people’s hearts continue to grow until around age 18-20, then typically stays at a size specifically fitted to your own body. Modern day research has eliminated most mysteries of the heart and has dramatically increased the number of “heart healthy” people in today’s society. The more research reveals about the heart, the more cautious we learn to be with it. In the past few decades, researchers have released information regarding certain foods and activities that can keep your heart beating healthy as...
Words: 838 - Pages: 4
