MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (Heart Attack) | Definition | Epidemiology | Management | Part 1

okunlolayk (60)in #science • 8 years ago

To most people, the word cardiac implies a person with a sick or damaged heart. In the popular view, a cardiac patient is thought as someone who is severely limited, slow moving, sickly, a person whose future is uncertain. This description may apply to some heart patient certainly not to majority. Even patients with severe disease can often be taught to live vigorous and productive lives. Although, heart diseases have been since ancient times, it is often refereed to as the twentieth century epidermic.

Cardiac patients are not dying people as the Society perceives Modern life in urban, industrialized society is bad for the heart and as long as we live therein, the more apt we are to develop heart diseases. We subject ourselves to excessive stress: Million of us smoke; most of us live essentially sedentary lives and so on. All this contributes to the initiation of heart diseases.

Myocardial infarction is the death of a section of the heart muscles caused as a result of ischemia (in adequate blood supply to the heart muscles). It is usually characterized by sever chest pain.

The heart and how it works

The heart is found in the chest/ thoracic cavityThe heart is a relatively small organ about the size of a clinched fist. It lies between the lungs in the upper chest cavity. It is a hollow muscular organ that controls a complex circulatory system made up of a network of arteries and veins. The network of arteries supply the individual tissues with oxygen and other nutrients. While the network of veins collect oxygen-depleted blood and Carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the heart.

The chambers of the heart are all actively involved in blood circulation

The heart is divided into two side: Left and Right. In turn, each side is divided into two chambers: An atrium into which blood is collected and a ventricle which pumps the blood out. The right atrium receives blood (de-oxygenated) that are circulated through the body. From the right atrium, it passes to the right ventricle which pumps it to the lungs via the pulmonary artery. In the lungs the CO₂ is removed from the lungs in exchange for fresh oxygen. The oxygenated blood then returns to the heart travelling through the pulmonary vein to the left atrium and then to the left ventricle. The chamber (left ventricle) is the pump responsible for sending the oxygen-rich blood to the circulatory system and ultimately all part of the body supplying O₂ and nutrients to tissues.

The muscles of the heart are designed to beat through out life. The rhythmic movement of the heart is controlled by the pacemaker

In a normal active adult, the heart beats about 100,000 times a day, pumping more than four gallons through some 60,000 miles of blood vessels. The heart rhythmic beating action by natural pacemaker, a bundle of cells that generate the electrical impulses needed to co-ordinate the heart contractions. A system of valve keeps the blood moving in the right direction. like all body tissues the heart itself requires a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood. This is supplied by coronary arteries so named because they encircle the heart like a crown.

Although the heart rest only for a fraction between beats, but it is designed to last a lifetime. Even in the presence of diseases, the heart can continue to pump enough blood to sustain life, though activities may be restricted. Until few years ago, most people regarded heart disease as either a part of aging process, the result of rheumatic fever, or part of our genetic makeup; in other words, inevitable events over which we have little control.

But due to a number of large scales studies that deduce the fact that cardiovascular disorders are not inevitable consequences of aging or heredity. Instead, they are related to the way we live: What we eat, smoke and drink, how we walk and play; how we cope with stress and how we manage high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other health problems. In short it has been of recent that we have come to realize that many heart attacks can be prevented or delayed by changing our lifestyle.

Assessing risks of heart attack

You are more likely to develop heart diseases and even diabetes when you are inactive
We often hear statements like "He is at high risk for a heart attack" or "You can lower your risk doing this or that". But what do we mean when we talk about cardiovascular risk? The various risks of heart attack are related to our lifestyle (What we eat, whether or not we smoke, how well we cope with stress) and other involved factors over which we have no control(heredity, age and sex).

It is important to note and understand that no one can predict with certainty who is going to have a heart attack. Some people seem to violate all the rules - they smoke, eat all wrong food, never exercise, subject themselves to intolerable stress, ignore their doctor's warning about high blood pressure and still, they live to a right old age without even experiencing a twinge of chest pain. And there are those who seem to do all the right things and still are stricken with heart attack at an early age. We can not say why this happens, they are still many unknowns about heart diseases but research is constantly providing new insights and elucidating these unknowns.

Role of Epidemiology

Epidemiology, a branch of medicine that studies the disease pattern in large population groups has also helped in the elucidation of the causes of heart disorders. Although it has been known that some population groups have a very high incidence of certain heart diseases while others seem to be virtually immune. Similarly, heart attacks and coronary heart diseases are most common in industrialized countries and relatively rear in non-industrialized countries.

A number of large scale epidemiological studies have been conducted and a number of consistent patterns have emerge from these experiments that has enables scientist to identify several major cardiovascular risk factors. These factors are:

Controllable Risk Factors
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Cigarette smoking
- Environmental stress
- Diabetes
- Obesity
Uncontrollable Factors
- Age (the risk goes up with increase in age)
- Sex (Men are at higher risk than menopausal women)
- Heredity (Family history of heart attack increases risks)

Conclusion
When talking about Heart attack or any other cardiovascular disease, we cannot predict who will or will not be a victim on the basis of risk factors alone. it is the best to reduce or control as many of them as possible to improve our chances of avoiding a heart attack. Although there are treatments,therapy, or surgery, diet and exercise routine; but no matter what the problem or therapy, the most important member of the treatment team is YOU (the patient). and the more you know about your heart and how to take care of it the better. This doesn't mean you should be your own doctor, but it does mean you can be your doctors partner.

References:

Thanks for taking your time to read this article, its fascinating having an audience. if you find this helpful and interesting kindly appreciate and anticipate for the next part (Myocardial Infarction Part 2).