On Heart Disease

On Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease makes up 56% of all deaths relating to heart

conditions. The heart pumps blood around the body carrying oxygen and

other essential nutrients to the areas in the body where they are

needed.1 Coronary Heart disease is when this process is restricted or

interrupted. The coronary arteries come off the main aorta, which are

the first arteries to receive freshly oxygenated blood. They pass over

the surface of the heart and supply it with oxygen. The process

becomes restricted because the walls of the arteries become narrowed

by a gradual build-up of atheroma (fatty material). This can quite

often result in serious illness or death.3

The risk of heart disease is much greater for people that have a poor

diet, who smoke and also do little exercise. It is also more likely

for men to suffer from heart disease than women.3, 8 & 10

For smokers that have already had a heart attack as a result of heart

disease that continue to smoke, are twice as likely to have another

heart attack within one year if they continue to smoke. Carbon

monoxide and nicotine are the two products of tobacco smoke that have

the most harmful effect on the heart.2&3 Carbon monoxide joins onto

haemoglobin of the blood, making it less able to carry oxygen to the

areas of the body where it is required. In some smokers, up to half of

the blood can be carrying carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. This

means that the body is being slowly deprived of essential oxygen.2

Nicotine is harmful because it stimulates the body to produce

adrenaline, which, in turn causes the heart to beat faster. This means

that blood pressure is increased and t...

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...utcome will

be an unhealthy body. Also, it is relatively easy to change smoking

and exercise habits with little instruction or education. Diet

however, is not as easy for people to change to a healthy regime, and

so if someone is suffering from heart disease purely due to a poor

diet then it could be argued that it is someone else's fault. It could

be the fault of the government for inadequate education and

information being supplied to the general public, but it could also be

argued that it is the fault of food manufactures for not making it

easy to see that foods are high in LDL's or other fats which may lead

to heart disease.

For a healthier country, there defiantly needs to be more education

about diet from the government but also, people should be encouraged

to get involved in physical activities more often.