Non-communicable Disease Coronary Heart Disease

CHD – Your heart

The link between heart disease and heart attack CHD – What is it? CHD begins when cholesterol, fatty material, and calcium build up in the arteries. When this occurs in the arteries that supply the heart, this buildup, or plaque, causes the arteries to narrow, so that oxygen delivery to the heart is reduced. The reduction in oxygen delivery to the heart can create chest pain, also called angina. The link between heart disease and heart attack When plaque builds up to the point that it ruptures, it causes a blood clot to form in the coronary artery. The blood clot blocks blood from flowing to the heart muscle, leading to a heart attack. In a worst-case scenario, sudden cardiac arrest or fatal rhythm disturbance can occur.

CHD – What is it?

CHD the effects - Heart disease begins when cholesterol, fatty material, and calcium build up in the arteries, a process known as atherosclerosis

CHD – Risk Factors smoking, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, diabetes, family history of CHD, peripheral artery disease Obesity lack of exercise, high-fat diet.

CHD - Symptoms Some people experience shortness of breath or chest pain and make it to the hospital in time to be treated. Besides chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath, other occasional symptoms include jaw pain, sweating, and nausea. For others, cardiac arrest can be the first symptom they experience, and is deadly unless treated immediately

CHD - Diagnosis Doctors use a variety of tests to detect heart disease. One common test is the electrocardiogram (ECG) Symptoms of CHD tend to show up when the person is exercising because that's when the heart needs a higher level of oxygen delivery. However, for a person with heart disease, the coronary arteries can't deliver the amount of oxygenated blood needed because of the coronary artery blockage. That's why stress tests require the patient to perform a strenuous activity under a doctor's supervision, such as walking or running on a treadmill.

CHD diagnosis – Identifying the location of the blocked arteries: Angiography

CHD Treatment – Angioplasty and stent insertion (Normally done within 24 hours of positive ECG result under local anaesthetic)

CHD - Treatment Bypass Graft – if the blockages are too extensive then artificial arteries are ‘created’ that bypass the affected areas. This open heart surgery is done under general anaesthetic.

CHD - Treatment Medication is always necessary to manage CHD. This is normally: Statins – lowers cholesterol ACE inhibitors & beta blockers – Reduce stress on the heart Aspirin – thins the blood.

CHD – Impact upon Individuals Medical advances have reduced the impact greatly in recent years. The effect of CHD will depend upon whether the person knows they have it, and whether it can be surgically treated. Before treatment, the symptoms already mentioned can lead to difficulties with exercise even walking short distances. After treatment the main impact is having to take various medication with possible side effects and for some the psychological effect of having a heart attack or nearly dying.

Disease prevention You can reduce the risk of developing CHD by exercising, eating healthily, and not smoking.

Homework Research and find out about the recent Cholera epidemic in S. Africa. How is it being spread, contained, treated etc. To what extent is the level of development in Zimbabwe contributing to the outbreak?