Call for your Health

Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is a condition which accounts for onset of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease along with their attendant symptoms. As a first step effort should be of both preventive and curative measures. If the basic cause is not ruled out and eliminated, the resultant diseases may seem to have abated, for the time being, but may surface again in the absence of corrective measures. The damage and the ravages, caused by arteriosclerosis, may not be fully brought under control, but their further and the damages, that are likely to surface, can be easily minimized, if not fully eliminated. High blood pressure exerts adverse effects on sensorium brain, heart, kidneys and some other vital organs. If blood pressure is controlled then further damage to vital organs can, at least, be suspended. It may again be mentioned that high blood pressure, like diabetes, can only be controlled and treated but not cured once forever. Do not feel elated if blood pressure is found to be normal for some days and this progress should not be construed to mean that, since blood pressure is under control, there is no. need to take any anti­hypertensive drugs. In fact, such treatment and the medicines, suggested therefore, should never be delayed or discontinued, except under medical advice. This is more true in cases of essential hypertension, when the real cause has not been deduced. If the real and basic cause has been discerned, then treatment of the affected organs will in itself, let the blood pressure remain under normal limits. The latter condition is known as primary hypertension, which is far cashier to cure than the former condition. Let all the hypertensive patients never forget that they will be simply exposing themselves to far horrible risks and, at times, even with irreversible symptoms, leading even to fatal end. Imagine what would the condition of a person if he loses his vision or he gets paralyses, due to sheer negligence.

Coronary heart disease and high blood pressure are merely extended forms of the accumulation, in higher concentration, of cholesterol which, in turn, owes its origin to wrong habits and, more so, of wrong food habits and faulty living life style. The chief cause is wrong food and rise in cholesterol is merely a result thereof. Had there been no food fads and wrong eating, there would have been no rise in cholesterol. Some of the prominent symptoms of blood pressure may be summed up as : Tension, worries and cares of modern life style and self-imposed indiscretions and relaxations, blurred vision, severe headache, throbbing of blood vessels and temples, reddened face, insomnia, bleeding (in extreme case) from any orifice (opening) of the body, palpitation, pain in chest, swelling in the face and ankles, excessive sweating, dizziness, nausea or vomiting.

All the above conditions surface when, due to accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries, the passage becomes narrower and the blood exerts pressure on the walls of the arteries which, due to lack of flexibility and narrow passage, are not in a position to cope with pressure of blood. As result of blockade and hardening of the arteries, the blood supply to the heart is retard, resulting in palpitation and, sometimes, pain in heart region. It can now be deduced that cholesterol is the main cause for all the heart diseases, kidney problems and for that matter, all of the symptoms mentioned above. Following steps may help in reducing blood pressure and keeping the same within normal confines.

As a rule all saturated fats, tobacco, tea, coffee, strong drinks, meats should be avoided but should be substituted by unsaturated fats, bland diet, rich in green leafy vegetables, fruits. Avoid all types of irritant and precipitating factors. Foods, rich in cholesterol, as mentioned earlier also, bears repetition. Beef, mutton chicken, oyster, chicken, crab, shrimp, lobster and eggs increase cholesterol in blood, as far as meat products are concerned. Saturated fats like cream, ghee, butter, dalda (vegetable ghee), margarine, coconut oil should be ruled out from diet, or at least tapered to minimum level of consumption. Vegetable fats should be substituted by soyabean oil, maize oil, sunflower oil, generally. Adopt the habit of low salt, low calorie, low fat diet.

It is also important to detoxify body, by means of juices of fresh fruits and vegetables. The obese must try to shed extra weight by means of regular physical activity, dietary regimen. Avoid sleeping during early hours in the morning. Cultivate an active habit of ‘Early to bed and early to rise.’ Keep your bowels in good humour. Avoid constipation at any cost and, if there is any problem on that count, try to meet the situation by aid of natural means, but not by laxatives or purgatives. Do not ever agitate your mind or disturb your digestive system. Never hurry, worry or scurry. Feel normal and act and behave like a normal person.

As soon as you notice symptoms of high blood pressure, never delay seeking medical guidance and advice. Any delay can prove suicidal and damaging, at times with dangerous/fatal consequences. Before concluding on this topic, it would be in order to resort to natural means but, if the situation demands medicinal use, it should never be delayed. There is no reason or cause for any alarm, under any circumstance, but a dilatory and complacent approach is also suicidal. An old adage will go a long way in pressing home our view point (viz, a stitch in time saves nine). Always avoid an acute angle approach. Sedentary and inactive life style, so called compulsions and constraints of modern life, unnatural living pattern, which seeks divorce from nature, is never a favourable option. If it is a matter of option, then why not opt for a better and healthier way in life instead of falling a prey into the hands and clutches of mad race for ‘modernity.’

Coronary heart disease (also known as coronary artery disease) is actually a disease of the arteries that supply the heart with blood and nutrients. A diagnosis of coronary artery disease is made if any artery is 60% occluded. A heart attack, or myocardial infarction (death of heart muscle tissue), occurs when an obstruction or spasm disrupts or terminates blood flow to a portion of the heart muscle. The amount of heart muscle damage is determined by the location of the obstruction or spasm and the speed with which medical intervention is begun. Heart attacks of any magnitude produce irreversible injury and myocardial tissue death. It usually takes 5 to 6 weeks to form a fibrous scar around dead cardiac tissue. This area of dead tissue can no longer contribute to the pumping of blood, resulting in a less efficient heart. Massive heart attacks that cause extensive muscle damage result in death.Although most heart attacks occur after the age of 65, the dysfunctions leading to them often begin before adolescence. These processes are insidious and often go undetected until, without warning, a heart attack occurs. The attack is sudden but the circumstances leading to it are long standing. In fact, there is considerable evidence that the silent phase of coronary heart disease has pediatric origins.

The ongoing framingham study, which began in 1949, identified the risk factors connected with heart disease. Cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, stress, physical inactivity, age, gender, and family history were found to be highly related to heart attack and stroke. As the risks were discovered, the realization evolved that heart disease was not the inevitable consequence of aging or bad luck but an acquired disease that was preventable. After a few years, researchers realized that preventive efforts should begin in childhood, and more years passed before they investigated the prevalence of these risks among children and adolescents.

Autopsy studies of 18 year olds have shown a positive relationship between blood cholesterol levels and the prevalence of fatty streaks on the walls of the coronary arteries and aorta. The evidence indicates that the average cholesterol level in children in overfed, under exercised societies such as the united states is too high.

High blood pressure has been reported in children as young as 3 years of age, and blood pressure levels generally continue into adulthood. 4 Almost 19% of high school seniors smoke cigarettes daily, and the use of smokeless tobacco products has increased substantially among 17 to 19 year old men. An estimated one in five youngsters between the ages of 5 and 17 years are substantially overweight; that is, a minimum of 20% above their desirable weight.

Autopsy studies of american combat battle casualties, whose average age was 22 years, in the korean and vietnam wars showed obstructions in the coronary arteries. Native korean and vietnamese soldiers had clean and open arteries. These obstructions are caused by atherosclerosis, which is a slow, progressive disease of the arteries that can originate in childhood. It is characterized by the deposition of plaque beneath the lining of the artery. Plaque consists of fatty substances, cholesterol, blood platelets, fibrin, calcium, and cellular debris that anchor to a roughened site in the artery. Several theories have been advanced regarding the development of rough spots in arteries, but whatever the trigger, the smooth muscle cells beneath the lining erupt and form a network of connective tissue that eventually becomes plaque. Plaque enlarges over many years beneath the linings of arteries, causing them to narrow. The affected portion of the myocardium becomes ischemic (lacking sufficient blood flow). This eventually leads to two possibilities. First, bleeding may occur in the plaque, or second, a blood clot may form on the surface of the plaque. In either case, a heart attack or stroke may occur if the arterial channel is shutdown as a result. The atherosclerotic process is responsible for 80% of the coronary heart disease deaths in the united states.

As many as one third of all heart attacks are imperceptible to the victim. These events usually involve small areas of the heart muscle and may go unnoticed unless verified by an electrocardiogram (ECG). The ECG remains abnormal for about 72 hours after a silent heart attack. If the diagnosis is not made during this time, it will probably be missed. The typical heart attack is very noticeable, and the symptoms are overt.

Atherosclerotic lesions are more likely to form where single arteries branch into two smaller arteries. Vessel diameters reduce where branching occurs. This increases blood turbulence, which produces greater damage at these sites. This combination of events renders these sites more vulnerable to injury and the development of plaque. This phenomenon may occur in the arteries leading to the brain, kidneys, lungs, and legs, as well as the heart.

Coronary heart disease may be delayed or prevented by keeping the risk factors associated with heart disease in check. Most can be modified and controlled through appropriate lifestyle behaviors.

As a medical remedy, aspirin dates back 2000 years. Traditionally, aspirin’s primary function was to relieve pain and reduce fever and inflammation. Recently, investigators have become interested in aspirin’s other qualities, namely, its anticlotting properties. The early attention was focused on people who had a previous heart attack or stroke and on those who had angina pectoris. Aspirin therapy was found to decrease the risk for a subsequent cardiovascular event. The results from 25 studies indicated that low dose aspirin

• Lowered the risk for major cardiovascular or cerebrovascular complications by 25%.
• Lowered the total death rate for a vascular event by 15%
• Reduced the risk of nonfatal heart attack by 32%
• Reduced the risk of nonfatal stroke by 27%.

Taking aspirin within a couple of hours after a heart attack has reduced mortality by 23% during the first 5 weeks following the attack. Aspirin plays an important role in preventing a second or third heart attack. Its potential for preventing an initial heart attack was addressed in the physician’s health study. One standard aspirin tablet taken every other day lowered the heart attack risk by 44 % in a population of male physicians 40 to 84 years of age.

Because the subjects in these studies were men, the effect of aspirin use on women is unclear. However, a study of a large population of nurses is currently underway to determine if women respond similarly to preventive and therapeutic aspirin therapy.

The ideal aspirin dosage required to protect the heart is not known. Available evidence suggests that less than one tablet every other day is sufficient. The best dose may be less than a quarter of a tablet. In the case of aspirin for protection against a first heart attack, more of the drug is definitely not better.

Aspirin reduces the risk and incidence of heart attack because of its anticlotting properties. It prevents the blood platelets from clumping together to form a plug. When a plug develops at the site of a diseased coronary or cerebral artery, a heart attack or stroke will occur.

Even though aspirin appears to be effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes, current medical advice is to consult a physician to determine if it is desirable for you. Regular aspirin usage does have undesirable side effects. It can cause gastrointestinal distress and internal bleeding. The most serious complication of aspirin use occurs in people with uncontrolled hypertension, which is the leading cause of a hemorrhagic stroke. Because aspirin promotes bleeding, the risk of a stroke of this type becomes greater than aspirin’s preventive effect against a heart attack.