Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.
The most important behavioral risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. The effects of behavioral risk factors may show up in individuals as raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, and overweight and obesity. These “intermediate risks factors” can be measured in primary care facilities and indicate an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other complications.
Cessation of tobacco use, reduction of salt in the diet, eating more fruit and vegetables, regular physical activity and avoiding harmful use of alcohol have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Health policies that create conducive environments for making healthy choices affordable and available are essential for motivating people to adopt and sustain healthy behaviors.
Identifying those at highest risk of CVDs and ensuring they receive appropriate treatment can prevent premature deaths. Access to noncommunicable disease medicines and basic health technologies in all primary health care facilities is essential to ensure that those in need receive treatment and counselling.
Symptoms
Heart attack and stroke
Often, there are no symptoms of the underlying disease of the blood vessels. A heart attack or stroke may be the first sign of underlying disease. Symptoms of a heart attack include:
- pain or discomfort in the center of the chest; and/or
- pain or discomfort in the arms, the left shoulder, elbows, jaw, or back.
In addition the person may experience difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath; nausea or vomiting; light-headedness or faintness; a cold sweat; and turning pale. Women are more likely than men to have shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
The most common symptom of a stroke is sudden weakness of the face, arm, or leg, most often on one side of the body. Other symptoms include sudden onset of:
- numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body;
- confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech;
- difficulty seeing with one or both eyes;
- difficulty walking, dizziness and/or loss of balance or coordination;
- severe headache with no known cause; and/or
- fainting or unconsciousness.
People experiencing these symptoms should seek medical care immediately.
Rheumatic heart disease
Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease include: shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeats, chest pain and fainting. Symptoms of rheumatic fever (which can cause rheumatic heart disease if not treated) include: fever, pain and swelling of the joints, nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting.
Treatments And Preventions
Treatment
The treatment option that is best for a person will depend on their specific type of CVD.
However, some options include:
medication, such as to reduce low density lipoprotein cholesterol, improve blood flow, or regulate heart rhythm
surgery, such as coronary artery bypass grafting or valve repair or replacement surgery
cardiac rehabilitation, including exercise prescriptions and lifestyle counseling
Treatment aims to:
relieve symptoms
reduce the risk of the condition or disease recurring or getting worse
prevent complications, such as hospital admission, heart failure, stroke, heart attack, or death
Depending on the condition, a healthcare provider may also seek to stabilize heart rhythms, reduce blockages, and relax the arteries to enable a better flow of blood.
Risk factors
Researchers reported in the journal JAMA that the lifetime risk of CVD is more than 50% for both men and women.
Their study paper notes that even among those with few or no cardiovascular risk factors, the risk is still higher than 30%.
Risk factors for CVD include:
high blood pressure, or hypertension
atherosclerosis or blockages in the arteries
radiation therapy
smoking
poor sleep hygiene
high blood cholesterol, or hyperlipidemia
diabetes
a high fat, high carbohydrate diet
physical inactivity
obesity
sleep apnea
excessive alcohol consumption
stress
air pollution
chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or other forms of reduced lung function
People with one cardiovascular risk factor often have more. For example, obesity is a risk factor for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. A person may have all four conditions at the same time.
Find out ten ways to stop smoking. Read on to learn more.
Causes
Many types of CVD occur as a complication of atherosclerosis
Damage to the circulatory system can also result from diabetes and other health conditions, such as a virus, an inflammatory process such as myocarditis, or a structural problem present from birth (congenital heart disease).
CVD often results from high blood pressure, which produces no symptoms. It is therefore vital that people undergo regular screening for high blood pressure.
Prevention
Many types of CVD are preventable. It is vital to address risk factors by taking the following steps:
reducing the use of alcohol and tobacco
eating fresh fruit and vegetables
reducing salt, sugar, and saturated fat intake
avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, particularly for children
Adopting damaging lifestyle habits, such as eating a high sugar diet and not getting much physical activity, may not lead to CVD while a person is still young, as the effects of the condition are cumulative.
However, continued exposure to these risk factors can contribute to the development of CVD later in life.