Introduction:
Heart disease is the highest reported cause of death in the United States. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), reported that heart disease accounted for nearly 600,000 deaths, even trumping cancer by approximately 25,000. Health conditions that severely damage or weaken the heart can lead to heart failure (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Cardiomyopathy is heart disease that targets the myocardium, causing it to enlarge, thicken or become rigid. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute characterizes cardiomyopathy into to four different types: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, and arrhythmogenic. I have always found the heart to be the most fascinating organ in the body due to its responsibility of sustaining the life of every other organ. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is such an intriguing disease that has recently been reported in numerous instantaneous deaths of young and healthy adults. This disease interests me because I find it alarming that a disease of such an important organ is taking the lives of seemily healthy individuals. Since detection of cardiomyopathy is arduous, it is imperative to understand any minor signs or symptoms that assist with any preventative measures.
Causes of the disease and symptoms
Since there are different types of cardiomyopathy, each case has different causes. For example, the Heart Foundation (2014) classifies hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as an inherited disease, but in some cases the cause can also be due to persistently high blood pressure. In the majority of dilated cardiomyopathy cases, the cause is unknown, but there is a strong indication that excessive alcohol intake could be an explanation. Restrictive cardiomyopathy is another case where the cause of di...
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Chronic kidney disease also denoted as chronic renal failure is the gradual failure of the kidney to perform its function as required. The condition occurs gradually thus goes undetected until when it is too late. According to Buttaro et al (2013, p.723), there are certain risk factors that lead to the development of chronic kidney disease that individuals should be conversant with. Chronic kidney disease is hereditary meaning it can be passed from a parent to a child via genes. Age is another factor. This implies that people over 60 years are likely to get the disease thus should be cautious. Individuals having atherosclerosis, bladder obstruction, chronic glomerulonephritis or congenital kidney disease are also at the risk of getting the
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, also known as HCM, is a type of heart disease that affects the Cardiac Muscles and Cardiac Muscle cells. This disease occurs if the Cardiac Muscle cells enlarge, which causes the wall of the heart’s ventricles (most often the left ventricle) to thicken. It can also cause stiffness in the ventricles, as well as mitral valve and cellular changes.
Cardiomyopathy, by definition, means the weakening of the heart muscle. The heart is operated by a striated muscle that relies on the autonomic nervous system to function. Cardiomyopathy is diagnosed in four different ways based on what caused the illness and exactly what part of the heart is weakened. The four main types of cardiomyopathy are dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. One other category of cardiomyopathy that is diagnosed is “unclassified cardiomyopathy.” Unclassified cardiomyopathy is the weakening of the heart that does not fit into the main four categories.
Capture Myopathy? Not very often a diagnosis is termed liked this, especially in the field of human medicine, especially n the field of cardiology the where the term myopathy is revered as Cardiomyopathy. Myopathy is a disease that affects the muscles and causes weakness due to dysfunction of muscle fibers (1); Cardiomyopathy is of the same circumstance but deals primarily with the heart. Capture Myopathy is relative to many animals, especially mammals and provides a definitive correlation to humans and their potential medical prognosis of Cardiomyopathy. Capture Myopathy is a syndrome that that occurs within captive animals and causes rapid death through excessive adrenaline within the bloodstreams. (3) Capture Myopathy is quite often referred to as white muscle disease, the muscle when used causes a change of metabolism from using oxygen to using the stored energy within the muscle. The change up allows for lactic acid to build up and make its way into the bloodstream where it changes the homeostasis of the body: the body pH and the heart output. In essence, if the heart is inefficiently pumping the correct oxygen to the muscle, the muscle will begin to deteriorate and ultimately lead to damages to the kidney and the effector organs. (2) Animal Capture Myopathy is very relatable to human Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, and thus this paper will aim to trace how animals are very relatable to humans even through the Cardiovascular System based on normal physiology and stress. (WHAT SHOULD I TALK ABOUT?)
...epartment of Health and Human Services. "What Causes Heart Disease?" NIH Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. National Institutes of Health, 26 Sept. 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Approximately, 1 of every 500 people is affected with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, it is important for patients to understand the dynamics of the disease as it could potentially be life threatening. In most cases, the patients quality of life is not affected, but a few will experience symptoms that cause significant discomfort or undetected complications that could lead to sudden cardiac death. With that in mind, it would be beneficial to recognize what it is, specific causes, the steps of diagnoses, and the options for treatment.
“Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen” (American Heart Association, 2012, para 3). What this basically means is that the body is functioning in a way that the heart cannot keep up with. Although heart failure can be acute and occur suddenly, it usually develops over time and is a long-term or chronic condition. There are two different types of heart failure, left-sided and right-sided, and they can be caused by other diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, or high blood pressure (National Institutes of Health, 2012). In most cases, both sides of the heart are affected simultaneously.
In December of 1992, my paternal grandfather suffered a heart attack. He had been hauling several 50 lb. sacks of corn up into the deer feeder on his property by himself. He got into his truck, turned the ignition, put it into drive and before he could take his foot off the brake, he was dead. He was 68 years old. I was thirteen and that seemed so old. I remember that prior to the event there were many conversations within my family about the condition of my grandfather’s heart and cardiovascular system and how he needed to make lifestyle changes. I remember him taking nitroglycerine pills. I remember him coming to Dallas to go to an appointment so that they could perform tests with names like “stress EKG.” I remember that these things meant little to me at the time.
One of the leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. “Approximately every 29 seconds one American will have a heart attack, and once a minute one American will die from a heart attack” (Ford-Martin and Odle, 915). According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine men over the age of 45 and women over the age of 55 are considered at risk for heart disease. Heart disease is a major cause of death. It is beneficial to individuals who seek to prevent heart disease to recognize the risks leading to heart attacks as they are one of the primary indications of developing heart disease; especially those that fall into the at risk age groups. These risks consist of some that cannot be changed such as heredity risks, or those that can change such as smoking habits. It is very important to know these specific risks for prevention and to understand the symptoms of heart attacks, such as sweating or the feeling of weakness so if these or other symptoms occur people are aware. Finally heart disease treatment is of vital importance if you experience a heart attack so you can learn how to prevent another one from occurring.
The world is changing with the advancement of technology. People in our society, including teenagers, adults, and elders addicted to computers, television, cell phones, videogames, and cars. This addiction is making them sedentary. Going back in history, the human body is made for hunting, farming, and household work but the advancement of technology is making us sedentary. The sedentary lifestyle is leading increase in chronic health conditions and higher all-cause mortality. Human body is reacting to this change in nature, by being less immune to numerous chronic health conditions.
Just as breast cancer is killing our African American women, heart disease is also one of the major diseases killing our women. Heart disease is one of the nation’s leading causes of death in both woman and men. About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States (Americas heart disease burden, 2013). Some facts about heart disease are every year about 935,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 610,000 are a first heart attack victim. 325,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack. Also coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and loss of productivity. Deaths of heart disease in the United States back in 2008 killed about 24.5% of African Americans.
(Slide 2) What is Cardiomyopathy? If we break down the word we can see “Cardio” which means of the heart, “myo” which means muscle, and “pathy” which means disease, therefore cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle. (Slide 3) There are 3 main types of cardiomyopathies; hypertrophic, dilated, and restrictive. I will only be discussing dilated cardiomyopathy, which is characterized by the enlargement of the hearts chambers with impaired systolic function. It is estimated that as many as 1 of 500 adults may have this condition. Dilated cardiomyopathy is more common in blacks than in whites and in males than in females. It is the most common form of cardiomyopathy in children and it can occur at any age (CDC).
Etiology Myocardial infarction occurs when the coronary arteries are blocked by a blood clot. It is commonly known as a “heart attack”. The heart needs its own constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to work properly. Two coronary arteries deliver oxygenated blood to the heart, and if one of these two arteries fails or becomes blocked, then a portion of the heart will not acquire the necessary oxygen. This clot could be because of CAD (coronary artery disease), which happens when the inner walls of the coronary arteries thicken because of buildup of cholesterol, fatty deposits, calcium among other elements that are carried in the blood (Boston Scientific, 2009).
The human heart is one, if not the most, vital organ in the human body. The heart pumps blood through the circulatory system. It is what provides the body with oxygen and nutrients. Of course, without this important, muscular, organ there would be no way to survive. “Everyday your heart beats about 100,000 times, sending 2,000 gallons of blood surging through your body. Although it is no bigger than your fist, your heart has a mighty job of keeping blood flowing through 60,000 miles of blood vessels that feed your organs and tissues” (Watson n.pag.). Any type of damage or restriction to the heart or its valves can reduce pumping. Cardiovascular diseases are examples that cause damage to the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death globally, accounting for thirty percent of deaths. Since the heart has such an important role in the human body, it is critical that it is functioning and working properly. An important medical test used to observe the heart is called transesophageal echocardiography, also known as TEE.
Chronic Kidney Disease. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2014. Web. 20 May 2014.