Heart Disease And Its Effect On The Human Population

There are many diseases that affect the world populations today. Some have treatments and have known causes while others have no information on them. One of the biggest diseases that affect the United States today is heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “the term ‘heart disease’ refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease, which affects the blood flow to the heart”. Heart disease is a condition in which the blood vessels of the body change either by narrowing or by a blockage in the vessel. Heart disease can also be defined as “any condition or injury that keeps the heart from operating properly”. Some can be born with heart disease while others can develop throughout a person’s life. The history is extensive, and the research is advanced. There are many signs and symptoms and subcategories of the disease. There are differences in the disease when it comes to different ethnic groups, however, they are slim. There are many treatment methods available to help with this disease as well as new advances in the treatment of heart disease. These facts are all important to know in order to understand the whole aspect of heart disease and how it affects the human population.

The heart is the organ that keeps the body functioning. If something happens to the heart, many systems will shut down and eventually, the body will die. One of the most important vessels in the body are the coronary arteries. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “since coronary arteries deliver blood to the heart muscle, any coronary artery disorder or disease can have serious implications by reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle”. Without the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart, it can cause the heart to stop and result in a heart attack, or possibly lead to death. An example of what could happen includes atherosclerosis which is “a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery causing it to narrow or become blocked”. This is also one of “the most common causes of heart disease”. With the blockage of the arteries, the heart muscle can become weakened. “This may lead to heart failure, irregular heartbeat, or arrythmia”. Without the heart pumping blood, the rest of the body cannot get the nutrients or the blood that it needs to function, resulting in the rest of the systems shutting down.

There is a deep history of the heart dating back many centuries. According to Johannah Haney, “in ancient Egypt, doctors understood little about the heart. They believed it was the central meeting point for vessels. These vessels carried all of the different body fluids throughout the body”. According to Drug Discoveries: Practices, Processes, and Perspectives, P. R. Lichtlen, in his paper: History of Coronary Heart Disease, identified Leonardo da Vinci as an early investigator of the cardiovascular system when he describes the coronary arteries as ‘embedded in greasy material’. This was one of the first observations of atherosclerosis, the causative disease involved in the development of Coronary Heart Disease”. One of the people who agreed with this statement is Friedrich Hoffmann who wrote that “the origins of Coronary Heart Disease lie in ‘the reduced passage of blood within the coronary arteries’”. The book continues to conclude that the observations made by the previous persons would not be possible had it not been for William Harvey “who in 1628 thoroughly describes the circulatory system”. When the stethoscope was created by R. T. H Laennec, it made it easier to detect any problems involving the heart because it was easier to hear the heartbeat. In 1912, James B. Herrick “concluded that a gradual narrowing of coronary vessels was a possible cause of heart disease. Herrick is also famous for creating the term ‘heart attack’”. There were many people involved in discovering what heart disease is and how it affects the body. These are some of the key players in the discovery.

There are different ways to determine if someone has heart disease. The best way is to know some of the major signs and symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the major warning signs of heart disease are “chest pain or discomfort that [someone may] notice with physical activity or emotional stress, which goes away when [someone] rests; unusual tiredness; shortness of breath during normal physical activities”. Another major symptom of heart disease is angina which is defined as chest pain or discomfort. According to the CDC, other symptoms include “pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back; weakness, light-headedness, nausea, or a cold sweat; pain or discomfort”. One of the secondary diseases that can occur from heart disease are strokes which occur when the brain does not get enough oxygen. There are tests that a doctor can perform in order to diagnose someone with heart disease. These tests include “chest X-rays, coronary angiograms, electrocardiograms, and exercise stress tests”. Once these tests are administered, a patient’s doctor will have a better understanding on what is happening with their patient and can then prescribe either medications or a course of treatment.

Heart disease kills many people in the United States alone. According to the CDC, “heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities including African Americans, Hispanics, and whites. For American Indians or Alaska Natives and Asians or Pacific Islanders, heart disease is second only to cancer”. The following percentages come from the CDC based on all deaths caused by heart disease in 2008 based on ethnicity. American Indians or Alaska Natives-18. 4 %, Asians or Pacific Islanders-22. 2, Non-Hispanic Blacks-23. 8%, Non-Hispanic Whites-23. 8%, All-23. 5%. People who are at higher risks are people with “several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices including diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use”. Areas around the world can have harder times diagnosing and treating heart disease because they do not have the proper medical equipment or doctors who can diagnose and treat them. According to the Mayo Clinic, “heart disease is the number 1 killer in the United States. No one is immune”.

Some of the statistics that the Mayo Clinic provides include that “80 million Americans have some form of heart disease (about 1 in 3 adults); every year 2 million Americans have a heart attack or stroke; every day, 2,200 Americans dies of heart disease (an average of 1 death every 39 seconds); heart disease kills more people each year than all forms of cancer combined; heart disease kills nearly five times as many women as does breast cancer; about one third of Americans who dies each year if heart disease are under the age of 75. It’s not just an ‘old person’s’ disease”. There are misconceptions that only old people can have heart disease, but anyone can have it depending on the circumstances that they are in. Also, it is misconceived that heart disease mostly affects men, but it affects both genders.

There are numerous amounts of treatment methods. Many of them are based on the specific symptoms the patient is having or the severity of the prognosis. Treatments are also at the discretion of the doctor and what has worked for them in the past and what they are comfortable giving to their patients. Some methods include medications, surgery, transplants, or just change of lifestyle. A few ways to change a patient’s lifestyle before taking more drastic measures include checking the patient’s cholesterol and making sure the levels are in a normal range, making sure the blood pressure is at a healthy level, managing their diabetes (if they have it), and making sure that they are exercising regularly. Some medications may be needed in order to regulate blood pressure or to manage diabetes. More drastic measures like surgery are based on what is causing the heart disease, whether it be a blockage, or needing a new heart completely. Transplants are very tricky because a patient most likely needs to be in critical condition in order to be placed on a transplant list. It also depends on if the donor is the same blood type as well as having many similarities with their cells. Many underdeveloped countries do not have the medical advances that we have in the United States, so they are at higher risks of dying due to heart disease because they are less likely to be treated. Also, people who are not as fortunate to be able to pay for the top of the line medical treatment are less likely to get the help that they need.

There can many causes of death involved with heart disease. They can be slow or fast-paced. If someone has heart disease and it goes unnoticed for a long period of time, there could be no reversing the damage unless the patient undergoes a transplant which could take longer than they have. However, if it is caught early enough “even modest lifestyle changes can substantially reduce your risks”. A patient could die quickly if they experience a heart attack or stroke because those can cause death if severe enough. If caught early, a patient, with the help of medications and monitoring of symptoms, can still live a normal long life. Every day, there are many more strides towards curing heart disease. Each day, doctors are learning more about what they can do to help their patients to fight back against their disease. “In 2001, doctors began testing the use of entirely manmade artificial hearts”. This new research can help those who are stuck waiting on the transplant list.

In brief, heart disease is a major killer in the United States and around the world for there are many different aspects that impact the severity and causes of the disease. This makes it harder to understand the underlying cause behind the disease, but there are numerous amounts of advancements in medicine now that help doctors to pinpoint the exact causes and help them to create a plan in order to fight the disease. Patients are living fuller lives due to these new advancements and medications. Maybe one day, heart disease will be curable all together. With more and more improvements, less people will die from this terrible disease.