Heart Disease- a VERY big danger

[Supreme]

Heart disease affects thousands, and 500,000 in the UK have a heart attack every year (less than a third are fatal, however). Heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) are when the coronary arteries become blocked, meaning the heart muscle is not able to recieve oxygenated blood- it therefore dies.

Smoking, high blood pressure, high cholestrol and diet all contribute to the risk of developing heart disease. Atheromatous plaque is when streaks of fatty cholestrol, fibres and dead muscle cells accumulate within the artery endothelium. They increase the chances of thrombosis (when the plaque penetrates through the endothelium and forms a rough surface within the vessel lumen, restricting blood flow) and an aneurysm (when the artery swells up and frequently bursts, leading to heamorrhage).

So, heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK. Have you known anyone who has ever suffered from it? Do you take measures to avoid the risks, eg statins to reduce low density lipoproteins? I'm very interested in this kind of thing.

 

[Lillen]

My uncle has heart problems...

 

[Supreme]

My uncle has heart problems...

Do you mind my asking what type of heart problems they are? And do you know if it is down to his lifestyle or if his condition is inherited?

 

[jayem]

A lot of interest lately is in the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis. The disease may be more related to chronic inflammation than it is to elevated lipids. What's really intriguing is that many plaques seem to be infected with Chlamydia. This is an older paper (2002) but, it's a good review that you might find interesting.

Inflammation and Atherosclerosis -- Libby et al. 105 (9): 1135 -- Circulation

 

[Michael]

So, heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK. Have you known anyone who has ever suffered from it? Do you take measures to avoid the risks, eg statins to reduce low density lipoproteins? I'm very interested in this kind of thing.

Moderate drinking could be good for your health, newspapers have claimed

Oddly enough, it turns out that one way that an individual can lower their heart risk it is to drink.

What were the basic results?

The researchers found that:

• 13.7% of men and 23.9% of women did not drink at all.
• Total alcohol intake increased with age in both sexes.
• Apart from people aged under 30, most people drank wine.

They found that women who drank moderate amounts of alcohol had lower body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure and blood lipids, including LDL (“bad&#8221 cholesterol. Men who drank moderately had lower body mass index, heart rate, blood pressure, some blood lipids (triglycerides) and fasting glucose levels, plus lower stress and depression scores.
Men who drank little or moderately were also more likely to have better self-assessed health status, social status and respiratory function. In both sexes, alcohol intake was strongly associated with higher levels of HDL (“good&#8221 cholesterol, a finding which was independent of the type of alcoholic beverage consumed.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

I'm sceptical of these correlation-implies-causation studies. There is an oft-quoted study that says people who sleep 5-6 hours a day live longer than those who sleep 8-10 (or something to that effect) - and that therefore we shouldn't sleep too long.

I counter by pointing out the hidden variable - healthcare. People who sleep less generally work longer hours, and thus have more money, and thus have a better quality of healthcare.

So, Michael, does the article attribute the positive trend with any physical mechanic? Or is it an open question as to whether those who drink moderately are more inclined to by middle-class, live minimally stressful lives, etc?

 

[Supreme]

Moderate drinking could be good for your health, newspapers have claimed

Oddly enough, it turns out that one way that an individual can lower their heart risk it is to drink.

Hmmm. I'm not convinced. Even if moderate drinking did decrease slightly the risks of CHD, the health problems that come from alcohol are far greater.

(Not that moderate intake should do a lot of harm. But you know what I mean).