We have the same age of our arteries...

It is urgent to break the vicious circle: irregular diet, inactivity, obesity...

 

The Anatomy of the Heart

Our heart is a pump used to circulate the blood in the body and brain.

It weighs about 500 grams and is located behind the sternum, a little to the left. It pumps about 5 liters of blood per minute, or 7000 liters per day.

The heart has four chambers separated between right and left side.

• Two upper which are called atria.
• Two lower are the ventricles.
• The valve between the upper and lower chambers prevents blood from flowing back with the beats.

The two right cavities of the heart (atrium and right ventricle) pump blood from the heart to the lungs. This is where the blood gets rid of carbon dioxide accumulated in the body and is full of oxygen. The oxygenated blood returns to the left chambers of the heart (atrium and left ventricle) which pump it in their turn to the rest of the body. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. This heart pump is controlled by an internal electric system.

This system is dense and complex. Once one of these elements has a weakness, the whole edifice is in danger. The heart has reasons to falter which are good to know, to better preserve it...

 

The Enemies of the Heart and Arteries

Anything that interferes with the proper circulation of blood in the arteries and plays on the heart rate is bad.

 

Smoking

The risk of heart disease is more than two times higher in smokers than in non -smokers: nicotine causes an increase in heart rate of 15-20 beats per minute, an increase in blood pressure, 1 to 2mm of mercury.

It is a factor in narrowing of the small arteries, and the smoke attacks the bronchial tubes and lungs. The arteries of a smoker age prematurely.

Caution: for women, the risk of myocardial infarction is multiplied by 34 in smokers taking birth control pills...

Quitting smoking decreases rapidly the risk of myocardial infarction provided to quit for good. There are many ways to quit smoking today: do not hesitate!

 

Excess Cholesterol

We all have cholesterol that is carried on proteins (or HDL cholesterol) cholesterol that cleans arteries before being purified by the liver. This is the good cholesterol, useful for the proper arterial functioning.

But there is another protein (or LDL cholesterol) that gets rid by placing it on the arteries. This is the bad cholesterol clogging the arteries (this is called atherosclerosis), and therefore harmful to the heart with the possibility of contracting: angina pectoris (angina), myocardial infarction, stroke or high blood pressure...

A simple blood test allows you to know your cholesterol: total cholesterol should be less than 2 g / l.

LDL - cholesterol should be less than or equal to 1.30 g / l and HDL - cholesterol should be superior to 0.45 g / L in men and 0.55 g / l in women.

The causes of high cholesterol are often genetic, but there is usually a problem of diet highly rich in animal fat and overweight.

The treatment is based on drugs, but mainly involves a change in eating habits, with a diet low in animal fat, dairy... In addition, physical activity is actively recommended to allow the body to better burn consumed fat.

For women, some birth control pills are not recommended with bad cholesterol level. Ask your gynecologist.

 

Hypertension

Hypertension is associated with a sustained elevation of the pressure produced by the heart contractions in larger arteries. A person who has (in common jargon) a tension beyond 14/9 is considered as hypertensive.

Hypertension has a direct effect on the arterial wall because it causes damage to the inner layer and increases the risk of atherosclerosis  hardening of the arteries (which helps maintain blood pressure) .. It's a vicious circle!

In case of initial diagnosis, the physician must perform several steps in a week to check and ensure that the patient does not have a direct cause of hypertension such as:

• Excessive consumption of alcohol and / or licorice
• Taking cocaine
• The contraceptive pill
• Medications such as anti -inflammatory, cortisone, nose decongestant...

Once diagnosed, the doctor may prescribe medication to lower blood pressure.

It is absolutely essential to comply with the antihypertensive treatment prescribed by the doctor.

No treatment cease should be considered without a doctor's approval because abrupt withdrawal of antihypertensive treatment can be very dangerous.

But he will mostly indicate lifestyle habits to scrupulously follow on a daily basis as smoking cessation, maintaining a good physical activity, a diet low in fat, and most importantly, the limitation of salt: intakes should be limited to approximately 5 grams per day.

 

When the Heart Fails

If in current language it is said that "the heart dropped", there is nothing in common between the heart attack and respiratory arrest.

Heart Attack

This is actually a myocardial infarction, literally, death (infarction) of a portion of the heart muscle: the myocardium.

It is caused by a circulation problem: one or more arteries become clogged, this is called arteriosclerosis. The blood oxygen cannot reach the heart muscle, which necrosis, sometimes leading to cardiac arrest and death.

• Symptoms: chest pain that is not relieved by resting and often radiates or extends the upper body to the arms, neck, shoulders or jaw. There is also a feeling of oppression, such as a heavy weight on the chest, which also is not relieved by resting. These symptoms may last several hours or days. This is an absolute emergency that justifies a call for help, but it is obvious that the longer we wait to act, the less chance of survival we will have.
• What to do? If you find yourself with someone who has the symptoms of a heart attack, or if you yourself have these symptoms, there is not a minute to lose, call for help. Only prompt treatment in a specialized environment can save a person suffering from heart attacks.
• Treatments: drugs, interventional cardiology (coronary angiography), even surgical procedures such as bypass surgery. The drugs do not eliminate the narrowing of the arteries, but they can improve the efficiency of the heart and reduce chest pain (angina), leg pain, and hypertension.

Prevention of myocardial infarction passes through a diet low in animal fat (to manage cholesterol), good physical activity, smoking cessation, reasonable consumption of alcohol and blood pressure control.

After a heart attack, you can live normally, but not as before: the person must be aware of its limitations, and adapt his lifestyle to the new demands of the heart and arteries.

In addition to the general advice given to heart patients, remember that the best prevention is balance and moderation: in food, sport, stress...

 

Respiratory Arrest

Unlike a heart attack, cardio respiratory arrest (also called sudden death) is caused by a disturbance of the electrical activity of the heart. It occurs when the ventricles are agitated by rapid and irregular movements (ventricular fibrillation) they tremble rather than contract. This irregular tremble prevents heart from pumping correctly and supply the body and brain with oxygen.

There is no real warning sign of the heart attack.

The victim collapses, unconscious, and we can only note the absence of pulse and breathing...

Some have survived if they had the chance to be surrounded by people trained in first aid and knowing cardiac massage, but it only affects 5 % of cardiac arrests, often fatal.

The causes of cardiac arrest are highly less clear than in the infarct, although some risk factors can be highlighted:

• Arrhythmias
• A previous heart attack or a family history of heart problems
• An ejection fraction (EF) less than or equal to 40%: the ejection fraction is the proportion of blood ejected from the heart with each beat
• Unexplained syncope
• Heart failure (insufficient pumping)

Warning: Cardiac arrest (or CPAs) often announces another one.

If you are at risk, prevention is essential for survival.

Besides medicines for irregular heart rhythm, some people at risk of cardiac arrest may be offered by their cardiologists an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a small device under the skin below the collarbone, which conducts ongoing heartbeat analysis to detect rhythm abnormalities.

Ask your doctor for advice. He can perform simple tests to assess your risk of cardiovascular arrest, and prescribe, if necessary, a method of prevention.

If you are already being treated for heart failure or heart rhythm problems, you must follow the doctor's advice and adopt a lifestyle consistent with your condition.

Every day, some habits are good to take to live at best.

 

Living with Heart Problems

You have experienced a serious cardiac event, or are considered at risk?

Even if your disease does not prevent you from living, a few rules of conduct are to be observed.

You suffer from heart failure:

• Take your medications as prescribed by your doctor
• Continue to work if your doctor advises you, and if your business does not require great physical effort, consider making the point with your work doctor
• Reduce your salt intake
• Watch your weight
• Rest often
• Exercise in moderation: walking, swimming, and bicycling are excellent activities
• No burnout, if you feel dizzy or short of breath when doing certain exercises, avoid them. Talk with your doctor about an appropriate exercise program.
• Avoid constipation
• Limit your alcohol intake and avoid smoking

 

You survived a heart attack or suffer from arrhythmia

If you have a defibrillator, have it on you (in the wallet for example):

• A note book for cardiac defibrillator holder
• A list of medications with dosages
• Phone numbers to call in case of emergency

Inform your colleagues, traveling companions, etc. of the existence of the implanted defibrillator.

If you travel, tell the airport staff of the existence of the implanted defibrillator. Do not go under the security gates but from the side.

Encourage your family members to take a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a first aid center with cardiac massage and mouth to mouth: it is estimated that 50 % of victims of CPAs would be saved if the entourage knew these simple steps.

 

You Hold a Pacemaker

Follow the schedule of inspection visits issued by your doctor and follow his recommendations.

An electrocardiogram will be performed at each visit to ensure the proper functioning of your pacemaker. The pacemaker, except in complication cases, will be replaced when the battery reaches the end of life, after 7 to 12 years.

Beware; some interference can disrupt the housing:

• Cell phones: it is better to keep them away, using a headset for example
• The heating plates: Stay more than two meters away from the plates, choose something else for your kitchen
• Some electric conductors for toys, such as electric trains, are also responsible for interference
• The security gates at airports
• The anti-theft gates in some stores: pass quickly through it
• The radars in ships and airplanes

The practice of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not-indicated.

In all cases, carefully follow the instructions and advice of your doctor.

Feel free to ask all the important questions for your daily life: "can I drink?", "Can I continue to play tennis?", "Can I go on a trip this summer?"

He is the only one, depending on your case, to answer and prescribe, where appropriate, specific treatment.

 

The Anti-Cholesterol Diet

By changing your diet, you can lower one-third of your cholesterol level.

The biggest enemies are the foods rich in saturated fat: red meat, egg yolk, meat, butter, cream, cheese... the point is not to eliminate them completely, but to reduce their consumption.

The best diet is the diet called "Mediterranean" inspired by the Greek diet: fruits, vegetables, cheese from sheep or goat, little or no meat and mutton rather than beef, no butter but the olive oil as main fat.

 

What else? Everything!

 

Here are some tips:

• Replace butter by honey, jam or margarine
• Cook with rapeseed oil or olive oil
• Eat fish three times a week
• Replace red meat with veal, poultry, rabbit
• In the kitchen, replace the cream with unsweetened condensed milk: it works!
• Choose low-fat dairy
• Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to reach the recommended 5 times per day.
• Limit your intake of salt
• Avoid any products prepared too rich in concealed fats and salt
• Limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, preferably wine, which would be beneficial (in small doses) for the arteries.
• Consume legumes and cereals

 

Omega 3

They are either of vegetable origin or of marine origin:

• In rapeseed oil, nuts, soy, wheat seed
• In fish, especially fatty (salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel...) and fresh, not frozen. If you freeze fresh fish, eat it within 90 days to benefit from Omega 3. However sardines and canned tuna have the same Omega 3 levels.

Failing to eat fish, there are fortified foods and dietary supplements.

 

Plant Sterols

These are plant extracts naturally present in small amounts in:

• Vegetable oils
• Seeds
• Nuts (soy, sesame, almond, sunflower, peanut, olive)
• Some vegetables (cauliflower, tomato)
• Some fruits (orange, grapefruit)

They reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the body and cause such a reduction in LDL cholesterol level.

Many products are made from sterol:  margarine, dairy...