Heart Health Is It Pumping Right?

Lub Dub Lub Dub Lub Dub....... Always in rhyme, forever in pace size of a fist, yet keeps you fit beating round the clock,Pumping till the curtains fall Minute yet mighty, that's our heart A minor change in rhythm and alas! So beware! It's your heart..... Keep it healthy for a wealthy life.

What is Heart?
heart is an organ, made up of muscles and pumps blood to different parts of the body. It maintains the circulatory system that is the circulation of pure blood from heart to body and impure blood from various parts of the body back to the heart.

How does the heart pump blood?
Beating of the heart is due to an electrical "wiring system" (signaling) that enables the heart muscles to beat at the same rhythm and pace. On contraction of the heart, blood is pumped out of the heart, the pure blood then reaches various parts of the body. When a person is at rest, the heart beats about 60 to 90 times per minute, pumping roughly 5 to 6 liters of blood. And which goes up to 20 liters of blood per minute while working.

Risk Factors
1. Unhealthy diet
2. High blood pressure
3. Lack of exercise
4. Diabetes
5. LDL-bad cholesterol
6. Smoking
7. Obesity
8. Family history

How is checking for rhythmic changes done?
1. Echocardiography This method makes use of sound waves to create an image of the heart. The picture gives an idea of the size and shape of heart and also show how well its chambers and valves are working. Echocardiography identifies the heart muscles that are not contracting normally and also, gives information about previous injury to the heart muscle that may be caused due to poor blood flow.
2. Coronary Angiography Coronary angiography uses a contrast dye (usually containing iodine) in combination with X-ray to detect blockages in the coronary arteries (blood vessels of the heart). With the help of an x-ray, the catheter (a tube) is placed in the coronary artery. Once the catheter is in place, a contrast dye is injected through it to highlight blockages and x-ray picture are captured.

What are the markers of heart health?
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) CRP (CRP) is a liver that is produced as a result of body's immune response to infections. It is useful in detecting the risk of heart diseases. High Sensitivity C Reactive Protein Hs Crp detects lower levels of CRP and differentiates patients into low, intermediate and high risk groups; which help in medical therapy

Homocysteine
Raisesd homocysteine levels is considered to be a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis (blockage of blood vessels of heart).

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB/Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1)ratio
ApoB and ApoA1 are components of lipoprotein particles (lipids) that act as transporters of LDL-bad cholesterol. This ratio indicates the cholesterol transport and has been shown to be strongly related to risks of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular (heart) diseases.

Lipoprotein(a)
Increased levels of lipoprotein (a) and lipids in blood raises the risk for cardiovascular disease (heart disease) in women, even in those under 60 years of age.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)
MMP-9, along with CRP, interleukin-6 and white blood cells counts can accurately predict the chances of developing heart disease.

triglycerides
Triglycerides are the end product of fat metabolism, stored in the form of lipids in the body. A storehouse for unused calories to provide energy to the body when required and circulate in the blood bound to lipoproteins.

TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS
Clinically relevant levels of triglycerides as per the National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III guidelines are:
Normal level - Less than 150mg/dL
Borderline - 150 to 199mg/dL
High- 200 to 499mg/dL
Very High - 500mg/dL or higher

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIGLYCERIDES LEVELS IN BLOOD?
Triglycerides are not bad for the body if levels are controlled as they also aid in providing energy. However, any ups and downs in the same has been linked to many clinical conditions.

High levels indicate Risk for heart disease and stroke. It can also fuel High cholesterol levels and High blood pressure. Patients with conditions like hypothyroidism, Diabetes, etc. are also required to keep their triglyceride levels under check to avoid development of any adverse, heart condition

Low levels indicate Low dietary fat intake can cause malnutrition, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and malabsorption syndrome (condition where small intestine does not absorb fat).

HOW TO LOWER TRIGLYCERIDES?
- Lose weight
- Indulge in regular exercise
- Abstain from alcohol
- Monitor the quality of food ingested
- Get a preventive Cardiac Risk Markers Test done routinely

Triglycerides are definitely one double edged sword; which can disturb the rhythm of your heart!

Prevention of health disease refers to three types

Primary Prevention: This prevention strategy aims at people who have already developed cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure or cholesterol. The focus is to control these risk factors by making a healthy lifestyle choice or taking medications.

Secondary Prevention: This prevention strategy aims at people who have had a heart attack or stroke, undergone angioplasty or bypass surgery, or developed some other form of heart disease.

Primordial Prevention: Primordial is simply explained as "Existing from the start". This prevention strategy aims at taking hold of and preventing the risk factors.

Primordial Prevention Cognizance Primordial prevention is now the cornerstone of preventive health-care. It defines the ideal heart health. As the name implies, the sooner you can start practicing primordial prevention ideally from childhood, the more likely you are to achieve it and protect yourself from heart diseases.?

Four key primordial prevention steps that can mightily reduce your risk of developing a heart disease include
- Quit Smoking
- Maintaining healthy weight
- Exercising
- Following a healthy diet

Conclusion Putting it all together- healthy living and being heedful to the primary symptoms are the best ways to delay or avoid many heart diseases. Take charge of your health with regular check-ups and make changes to create healthy habits that can sustain throughout your life. All in all, it should be understood that majority of heart diseases can be prevented with required changes in diet and lifestyle. In many countries, heart disease has been singled out as the biggest killer. Therefore, it is a need of the hour to sensitize people on the importance of visiting their healthcare providers regularly in a bid to check on their heart conditions and take necessary steps to prevent any disease.