Top Heart Care Tips, Tips to Take Care of Your Heart, Heart Care

Prevention is better than cure. It is important to take care of your Heart as your heart is a sensitive part of the body. This will help prevent any possible heart diseases from affecting you.

The following tips might help in preventing Heart problems although impossible to gurantee a disease free heart, it is possible to greatly reduce your risk of having heart problems. Heart disease can affect people living a healthy lifestyle but it is more likely to affect people whose lifestyle places a burden on their heart. Many people are not aware of the risk they put themselves in and so the below tips will be an eye opener.

Tips which help to reduce Heart Problems:

Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Limit your intake of fats and increase your intake of low-fat foods. Eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and whole grain. Avoid or limit your intake of margarine, take-aways, high fat dairy products and pastries. If you find it difficult to follow a healthy eating plan, trying talking to a nutritionist.

Monitor your cholesterol levels. Ask your doctor to check your cholesterol levels, to ensure that there is the right balance between LDL and HDL levels. LDL (or bad cholesterol) levels need to be kept low. HDL (or good cholesterol) should be higher.

Maintain a healthy weight. Talk to your doctor about losing weight if you are obese and find it difficult to lose the weight needed. Obesity and cardiovascular disease often are linked together as the excess weight carried by a person places an extra burden on the heart. Most people can lose weight successfully by implementing healthy eating habits and exercising regularly.

Exercise regularly. Most people suggest at least 40 minutes three to four times a week. Start slowly if you are not used to exercising and increase it as your fitness improves. If you have any serious medical problems, or are very overweight, you should consult a doctor first. Do not rush into a heavy exercise schedule.

Have your blood pressure checked regularly. If medication is needed to control high blood pressure, make sure you take the medication and follow any other suggestions given to you by your doctor.

Keep your diabetes under control. Take any medication and follow any recommendations of the doctor if you have diabetes. You should also have your blood sugar levels checked regularly if you suspect you may have diabetes or if you have a family history of diabetes. People with diabetes have a greater chance of getting heart disease.

Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Definition, Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Symptoms, Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosis, Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Treatment

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the chronic long-term abuse of alcohol leads to heart failure. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a type of dilated cardiomyopathy. Due to the direct toxic effects of alcohol on heart muscle, the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently, leading to heart failure. It can affect other parts of the body if the heart failure is severe. It is most common in males between the ages of 35-50.

Alchoholic Cardiomyopathy Symptoms:
Symptoms presented by the occurrence of alcoholic cardiomyopathy are the result of the heart failing and usually occur after the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. Therefore the symptoms have a lot in common with other forms of cardiomyopathy.
The symptoms include:
Ankle, feet, and leg swelling
Overall swelling
Loss of appetite
Shortness of breath, especially with activity
Breathing difficulty while lying down
Fatigue, weakness, faintness
Decreased alertness or concentration
Cough containing mucus, or pink, frothy material
Decreased urine output (oliguria)
Need to urinate at night (nocturia)
Palpitations
Irregular or rapid pulse

Alchoholic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosis:
Abnormal heart sounds, murmurs, ECG abnormalities, and enlarged heart on chest x-ray may lead to the diagnosis. Echocardiogram abnormalities and cardiac catheterization or angiogram to rule out coronary artery blockages, along with a history of alcohol abuse can confirm the diagnosis.

Alchoholic Cardiomyopathy Treatment:
Treatment for alcoholic cardiomyopathy involves lifestyle changes, including complete abstinence from alcohol use, a low sodium diet, and fluid restriction, as well as medications. Medications may include ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and diuretics  which are commonly used with other forms of cardiomyopathy to reduce the strain on the heart. Persons with congestive heart failure may be considered for surgical insertion of an ICD or a pacemaker which can improve heart function. In cases where the heart failure is irreversible and worsening, heart transplant may be considered. Treatment will possibly prevent the heart from further deterioration but is unlikely to reverse the reduced function that has already occurred.

Effects of Heart in Obese People, Obesity and Heart Problems, Excess Weight burdens the Heart, Heart Problems due to Obesity

More blood requirement: People who weigh heavier than normal have higher bodily needs, especially in terms of blood supply. This means that their heart is given the task of pumping more blood all over the body so that nutrients can effectively flow through. Although the heart has the capacity to do this, it would eventually become weaker.

Heart muscles become larger: Because of the increased pressure needed by the body, the heart overworks itself. And so the muscles in the heart tend to become thicker. This is actually a symptom of most heart problems already. When diagnosed with this condition, heart medicines have to be taken to regulate both blood pressure and heart functions.

Larger abdomen: Being short of breath is very common to persons with an obese heart. This is because they tend to have large abdomens. This condition restricts the lungs from having enough room to fill with air when a person breathes.

The neck and throat sags: An obese individual is likely to develop thick tissues in these areas. This is the reason why their throats and necks seem to sag. This keeps the air from reaching their lungs. It could even result to apnea or temporary breathing interruptions. If not treated properly, sudden death while sleeping could happen.

A number of studies have shown the increased risk of obese persons to develop heart problems. The Despres abdominal obesity European heart journal indicated that abdominal obesity is the most common cause of the metabolic disorder and that it is highly associated to cardio metabolic risk. And a lot of other cause-oriented groups and organizations are producing fact sheets and information campaigns showing the ill effects of obesity in the body. For one thing, the heart attack survival rates thin and obese are very far apart. Survival is less likely in obese patients who suffered from heart attack because doctors perceive that the risks of performing an operation are greater than when it is not performed at all. Records show that there are a lesser number of documented cases of bypass surgery in obese individuals. This makes it safe to conclude that the conducting bypass surgery on obese patient is more harmful than helpful. And because of this, an obese person with heart disease don't have good prognosis at all.

Cardiomyopathy Signs and Symptoms, Cardiomyopathy Symptoms

Some people who suffer from cardiomyopathy mostly do not show signs or symptoms, there are others who do not show signs or symptoms in the early stages of the disease. As cardiomyopathy worsens and the heart weakens, signs and symptoms of heart failure usually occur. These signs and symptoms include Shortness of breath or trouble breathing, Fatigue (tiredness), Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, and abdomen. Rarely, swelling may occur in the veins of your neck. Other signs and symptoms can include dizziness, light headed, fainting during physical activity, chest pain, arrhythmias, and heart murmur (an extra or unusual sound heard during a heartbeat).

Cardiomyopathy Treatment

Depending on the type of cardiomyopathy, certain drugs may be prescribed to decrease the heart's workload, regulate the heartbeat, help prevent blood clot formation, and help prevent fluid accumulation in the body. These drugs include vasodilators, digitalis (digoxin), ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors, anticoagulants ("blood thinners") and diuretics ("water pills").
Congestive and dilated cardiomyopathies often respond well, at least initially, to medical therapy. Treatment of some cardiomyopathies that result from viral infections may not be effective. Therapy for those with restrictive cardiomyopathy may be particularly limited. If end-stage heart failure develops, heart transplantation may be necessary.

Cardiomyopathy Definition, Cardiomyopathy Types and Causes

Cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the heart muscle or a change in heart muscle structure. It is often associated with inadequate heart pumping or other heart function problems.

Common types of cardiomyopathy include:
Specific Cardiomyopathies:

• Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• Coronary artery disease
• Congenital heart disease
• Nutritional diseases affecting the heart
• Ischemic (or ischaemic) cardiomyopathy
• Hypertensive cardiomyopathy
• Valvular cardiomyopathy
• Inflammatory cardiomyopathy
• Cardiomyopathy secondary to a systemic metabolic disease
• Myocardiodystrophy

Intrinsic Cardiomyopathies – weakness in muscle of heart that is not due to an identifiable external cause.

• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) – most common form, and one of the leading indications for heart transplantation. In DCM the heart (especially the left ventricle) is enlarged and the pumping function is diminished.
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM or HOCM) – genetic disorder caused by various mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. In HCM the heart muscle is thickened, which can obstruct blood flow and prevent the heart from functioning properly.
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) – arises from an electrical disturbance of the heart in which heart muscle is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. The right ventricle is generally most affected.
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) – least common cardiomyopathy. The walls of the ventricles are stiff, but may not be thickened, and resist the normal filling of the heart with blood.
• Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy – the left ventricle wall has failed to properly grow from birth and such has a spongy appearance when viewed during an echocardiogram.

Common causes of cardiomyopathy are:
Alcoholism and Cocaine use
Amyloidosis
Chemotherapy drugs
Coronary artery disease
End-stage kidney disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Infections due to viruses, HIV, Lyme disease, Chagas disease
Nutritional deficiencies (such as selenium, thiamine, calcium)
Pregnancy
Systemic lupus erythematosus

Coronary Heart Disease Treatment, Medical Treatment for Coronary Heart Disease, Coronary Heart Disease Follow up after surgery

Regular follow-up visits with your health care provider are essential. Coronary heart disease is a chronic (long-term, ongoing), relentlessly progressive disease. Reducing risk factors may only slow its pace. Even angioplasty or bypass surgery only reduces the severity of the disease. It does not cure the disease. It often comes back and gets worse, requiring further treatment for people with previous heart attacks or bypass, especially if the patient has not corrected the abnormal risk factors.

Health care provider usually monitors the following conditions:
New symptoms or signs of disease progression (periodic physical exams and ECGs or stress tests)
Silent ischemia (periodic treadmill or radionuclide stress tests or stress echocardiography)
Your health care provider will also monitor your progress in risk reduction and how well treatment is working.
Checking weight and activity levels
Checking blood lipid levels, including the bad LDL, the good HDL, and triglycerides, another fat frequently elevated in overweight patients, especially if diabetic - LDL should be less than 100
Checking blood pressure, which should be less than 130/80 mm Hg
If diabetic, checking blood sugar and A1C (should be less than 7.0%) 
Checking progress with quitting smoking
Medications will be monitored, making adjustments whereever necessary. Side effects of medications will also be monitored and treated if necessary.

Coronary Heart Disease Treatment, Medical Treatment for Coronary Heart Disease, Types of Surgeries for Coronary Heart Disease

Surgery in coronary heart disease is reserved for people whose disease is either severe or is not improved or stabilized by medication and other less invasive therapies.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG): This is the standard operation for blockages of coronary arteries. If multiple coronary arteries are blocked, or if the left main artery shows significant blockage, bypass surgery is usually the best treatment choice. The blocked parts of the arteries are detoured or bypassed with blood vessels "harvested" from your chest (internal mammary), arm (radial artery), or a leg (saphenous vein). During the surgery, the heart is stopped temporarily and you are connected to a machine called a bypass pump that takes over the functions of the heart. These operations are very successful and have a low rate of complications.

Off-pump bypass surgery: Sometimes surgeons can perform open heart surgery without using a bypass pump and while the heart is beating. The procedure causes fewer side effects than the standard procedure, but it is not feasible in all situations.

Minimally invasive coronary bypass (MINI-CABS): If just your front or right coronary arteries need bypass, a surgeon may replace the blocked artery with an artery from the chest via a small keyhole incision, without opening your chest, to detour the blockage

Transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR): TMR offers an alternative for people who are not good candidates for either angioplasty or bypass surgery. A surgeon uses a laser catheter to create multiple pinholes in your heart muscle. The holes encourage growth of new vessels into the diseased heart muscle. This procedure can be done by itself or in conjunction with coronary bypass surgery.

Coronary Heart Disease Treatment, Medical Treatment for Coronary Heart Disease

Invasive procedures for treatment of Coronary Heart Disease:

When angina symptoms worsen despite medications, you may need an invasive procedure in the cardiac catheterization lab to clear the blocked artery. These procedures are performed by a cardiologist, not a cardiac surgeon, and have fewer complications.

Coronary angioplasty (PTCA): This procedure is similar to coronary angiography (cardiac catheterization or a dye study to visualize the inside of coronary arteries) but is therapeutic as well as diagnostic. A similar but sturdier tube (guide catheter) is inserted into an artery in your groin or arm, and a hair-thin guide wire is threaded through it into your coronary artery. A much thinner catheter is threaded over the guide wire into the blocked artery. This thinner catheter has a tiny balloon at the end. Once the balloon is positioned at the blockage, the balloon is inflated to widen your artery and improve blood flow. The plaque is still there, just flattened against the wall of the artery. The balloon catheter is then withdrawn. This procedure is sometimes referred to as PTCA, which stands for its full formal name: percutaneous (through the skin) transluminal (through the hollow center of the blood vessel) coronary angioplasty.

Stent: A stent is a small, sieved, coil-like metallic tube or scaffold mounted over a balloon. The balloon is inflated at the blockage, which expands the stent. The balloon is then withdrawn, but the stent stays in place, keeping the artery from narrowing again. Like arteries treated with angioplasty alone, arteries treated with a stent can eventually close up again. The stent is a longer lasting solution for many people.

Atherectomy: Sometimes the plaques become too rigid, bulky, or calcified to be treated with angioplasty or a stent. In such cases, the plaques must be removed by cutting with a drill-like device. This works only if the narrowing or blockage is limited to a relatively small and self-contained portion of an artery. Devices commonly used for atherectomy include directional atherectomy (DCA) catheter, rotational atherectomy or rotablator (PTRA), transluminal extraction catheter (TEC), or AngioJet. Plaques also may be burned away with an excimer laser atherectomy (ELCA).

Brachytherapy: Radiation is applied to the blockage to clear it. The radiation comes from a very tiny source placed inside or near the artery. This procedure is used to treat arteries that have undergone angioplasty or stenting but have blockage that keeps coming back (restenosis).

Coronary Heart Disease Treatment, Medical Treatment for Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary artery disease decreases blood supply to the heart from the blocked coronary artery. The lower blood flow may fail to meet the heart's demand for oxygen. Treatment aims to balance blood supply to the heart with heart oxygen demand, and prevent worsening of coronary heart disease. 

Aspirin: When taken daily or every other day, aspirin reduces the risk of developing angina or heart attack by reducing the tendency of your blood to clot. It reduces the chance that a clot will form over a rupturing plaque in the coronary artery, a common underlying phenomenon in heart attack (myocardial infarction). Side effects of aspirin include ulcers or bleeding problems. Talk to your health care provider before starting aspirin.

Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, thus reducing your heart's demand for oxygen. Clinical trials have shown prevention of future heart attacks and sudden death.

Nitroglycerin: This medication reduces chest pain both by decreasing your heart's oxygen demand and by dilating the coronary arteries, increasing the oxygen supply. Sprays or tablets placed under your tongue are designed to be taken when you need instant relief from angina. Long-acting nitroglycerin tablets or skin patches work slowly over many hours.

Calcium channel blockers: Calcium channel blockers dilate the coronary arteries to improve blood flow. They also reduce blood pressure, and slow heart rate.

ACE inhibitors: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors work by dilating blood vessels, increasing blood flow. They recently have been shown to reduce the numbers of cardiac events, heart attacks, and deaths in people with coronary heart disease, unrelated to their blood pressure lowering effect. Therefore, additional beneficial tissue effects on blood vessels and heart muscle is thought to occur. They are immensely useful in people with diabetes and those with weakened heart muscles.

Statins: Statin drugs work by reducing the amounts of lipids (cholesterol and other fats) in your blood. This changes the inner lining of the blood vessels so plaques are less likely to form or get large. They slow or stop the progression of coronary heart disease and also deter repeat heart attacks. Recently, clinical trials have shown beneficial effects immediately after a heart attack or threatened heart attack, even before the fat lowering effect is maximal, meaning they stabilize the plaque. Examples include atorvastatin (Lipitor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Heart Healthy Diet to prevent Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Healthy Diet Recommended by American Medical Association

• Begin the day with whole-grain bread or cereal and fruit.
• For lunch and dinner, make whole grains and vegetables the main course. Add a salad or vegetables if your meal is mainly meat. Add leafy salads, pasta salads, chickpeas, beans, and soy products, all of which help reduce LDL cholesterol.
• Eat a fruit plate or low-fat yogurt for dessert. Cut sweets and sugars to a minimum.
• Cook foods in olive oil or canola oil, which are high in monounsaturated fats. These fats decrease LDL and total cholesterol levels.
• Eat 1 or 2 servings of fish or seafood each week.
• Eat nuts that are rich in monounsaturated fats, such as hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, and macadamia nuts. These nuts are healthful but high in fats. They should be eaten in small amounts.
• Cooking foods with garlic, which may have a slight cholesterol-lowering effect.
• Alcohol may be taken in moderation.
• No more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women is recommended to raise the good cholesterol (HDL).
• However, some people should not use alcohol. People who have liver or kidney problems, certain other medical problems, problems with alcohol abuse, or who are taking certain medications should not use alcohol.
• If you do not use alcohol, most medical professionals would recommend that you do not start just for the benefits to your heart.
• If you have any questions about alcohol's positive and negative effects on your health, ask your health care provider.

Coronary Heart Disease Treatment, Treatment of CHD, Self-Care at home for Coronary Heart Disease CHD

Self-Care at Home only when recommended by Health Provider:

The most important ways to reduce the risk of heart disease are in your control, not the control of your health care provider. Lifestyle changes is necessary to help prevent heart disease from getting worse or in the first place reducing the risk of getting heart disease.

The following measures will help to lower the risk of heart disease:
An important step is to eat a Heart-healthy diet. Lower your fat intake as calories from fat should be less than 30% of your total calorie intake every day. This translates to less than 60 grams of fat per day for an adult.
Lower your blood cholesterol to the recommended level, especially the LDL cholesterol as this helps to keep plaque from building up within your coronary arteries.
Engage in regular exercise. Exercise strengthens the heart, makes it more efficient, and lowers your blood pressure and bad cholesterol (LDL), yet raises you good cholesterol (HDL). Check with your health care provider before beginning an exercise program. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week. 
Quit smoking this is a highly recommended change. After only 3 years of not smoking, your risk of heart disease drops to that of a nonsmoker. Your health care provider can help you quit smoking by providing guidance on changing your behavior. Certain medications have been shown to help some people quit smoking.
Control high blood pressure and diabetes Your blood sugar level should be less than 7.0. Take a low-dose aspirin daily as prescribed by your doctor

Note that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was used for many years to prevent coronary heart disease and heart attack in women who had gone through menopause. However it was found that women who took HRT actually had higher rates of heart disease and stroke than women who did not take HRT and so HRT is no longer recommended for prevention of heart disease.

Medical Exam and Tests for Coronary Heart Disease, CHD Exams and Test

Medical professionals use screening tests to detect the presence and severity of coronary disease. Medical professionals call the symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease as non-specific as the symptoms could be caused by many different conditions, some not related to the heart at all. Post understanding the symptoms, more information is collected which includes asking questions about your symptoms, your medical and surgical history, your general health and specific medical problems, and the medications you take.
It will also include a physical examination, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and probably lab tests (blood test) and imaging tests such as x-ray or CT scan.
Physical exam may reveal evidence of weakened or irritable heart muscle, including sounds called gallops or murmurs. There may be evidence of congestion in the lungs.
Blood tests tests might check your blood cells, the chemical makeup of your blood, and enzymes leaking out of damaged heart muscle, that suggest that you are having a heart attack. Other tests might be ordered depending on the circumstances.
ECG is a painless test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. It can reveal several different heart problems, including ischemia, heart attacks, rhythm disorders, long-standing strain on the heart from high blood pressure, and certain valve problems. It gives clues as to the underlying cause of cardiac symptoms. The test takes just a few minutes. You lie on a table with electrodes fastened to the skin of your chest, arms, and legs.
Chest x-ray can show abnormalities in the size or shape of the heart and can show whether any fluid is building up in the lungs.

If you are having angina symptoms or your health care provider suspects that you have coronary heart disease, you may have an exercise (treadmill) stress test. This test involves measuring ECG tracings before, during, and after stressing the heart by exercise. You will walk on a treadmill while connected to an ECG machine. This test is 60-70% accurate in showing blockages in blood flow in 1 or more of the 3 coronary arteries. Sometimes its readings may be falsely abnormal for people taking certain medications or who have certain medical problems not directly related to coronary heart disease.

If other tests suggest blockage of the coronary arteries, you may undergo a nuclear (radionuclide) stress test. After a tiny dose of a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein, a special camera can identify the quantity of blood flow that reaches different parts of the heart muscle. The substance most often used is thallium, so this is often called a thallium stress test. You will have 2 tests, one with stress, or exercise (on a treadmill), and the other at rest. If you cannot exercise, you will be given a drug to temporarily stress your heart. The drugs used for this are adenosine (Adenocard), dipyridamole (Persantine), or dobutamine (Dobutrex). This test is expensive, but it is noninvasive, and its accuracy is quite good.

Stress echocardiography is an alternative to the nuclear stress test. Many people prefer this test because it does not use a radioactive agent. Echocardiography is a type of sonar that uses sound waves to bounce off walls and valves, creating an image of the heart as it beats. The movements of the ventricular walls are compared during stress and at rest. Wall motion drops during stress if the coronary artery supplying that part of the heart has significant obstruction. Like the other stress tests, the heart is stressed either by exercise on a treadmill or by administration of a drug.Electron beam (ultrafast) CT scan (EBCT) is a new and noninvasive but somewhat controversial test. By measuring the amount of calcium deposited in the plaques of coronary arteries, it can detect blockages of only 10-20% of an artery, which may not show up in other tests. Generally, such minor blockages are treated medically; lifestyle changes and risk factor modifications are recommended to prevent worsening of the blockage. Because elderly people frequently have calcium in their coronary arteries without significant narrowing, EBCT is of limited value in this age group. The advantage of EBCT comes in screening young people with one or more heart disease risk factors. Coronary angiography by cardiac catheterization is the best way to evaluate coronary heart disease. You will go to a hospital or an outpatient catheterization lab (for same-day surgery). Under guidance of an x-ray camera, a long, thin plastic tube (catheter) is threaded into the opening of your coronary arteries from a blood vessel in either your groin (femoral artery) or your arm (brachial artery). Once the catheter reaches the coronary artery opening, it injects a small amount of iodine dye, which makes the coronary arteries visible on the x-ray screen. Pictures of the coronary arteries are then recorded in a computer for later review. The images show the diameter of the coronary arteries and any blockages narrowing them. Coronary angiography is an invasive test. In experienced hands, the risk of complications is less than 1%. It is the only test that helps a cardiologist to determine precisely whether to treat you with bypass surgery, a less-invasive technique such as angioplasty or stent placement, or just medications.

When to Seek Medical Care for Coronary Heart Disease, Symptoms of Coronory Heart Disease,

Call your health care provider if you notice any of the following symptoms, which suggest angina:

• Chest pain, pressure or feeling of indigestion after physical exertion, which may or may not be relieved by rest
• Shoulder or arm pain involving left, right, or both sides during physical or mentally stressful activity
• Jaw pain, unexplained by another cause, like a sore tooth
• Shortness of breath after exertion or walking uphill
• Fainting spell
• Pain in the upper part of your abdomen
• Unexplained nausea, vomiting, or sweating
• Palpitations or dizziness

Call the emergency helpline (Ambulance) or have someone take you immediately to a hospital emergency department if you have signs of a heart attack.

The most crucial factor is time. Each year, thousands of people die because they do not seek medical attention quickly. Err on the side of caution and go to the hospital. This may prove to be the difference between life and death.

Coronary Heart Disease Symptoms, Cardiac Arrest Common Symptom of Coronary Heart Disease, CHD Symptoms

Cardiac Arrest commonly occurs in people who have had previous heart attacks, but it may occur as the first symptom of heart disease. Most people exhibit some symptom or discomfort. Symptoms usually occur during exercise or activity because the heart muscle's increased demand for nutrients and oxygen is not being met by the blocked coronary blood vessel.

More common symptoms of coronary heart disease include the following:

Chest pain on exertion (angina pectoris), which may be relieved by rest

Shortness of breath on exertion

Jaw pain, back pain, or arm pain, especially on left side, either during exertion or at rest

Palpitations (a sensation of rapid or very strong heart beats in your chest)

Dizziness, light-headedness, or fainting

Weakness on exertion or at rest

Irregular heartbeat

Silent Ischemia is a condition in which no symptoms occur even though an electrocardiogram (ECG, or heart tracing) and/or other tests show evidence of ischemia. Arteries may be blocked 50% or more without causing any symptoms.

Coronary Heart Disease Causes, Risk Factors Causing CHD, Multiple Risk Factors Causing Coronary Heart Disease

Any problem with the coronary arteries that keeps the heart from getting enough oxygen and nutrient rich blood causes Coronary heart disease. The most common cause is atherosclerosis. Lack of sufficient blood is called ischemia and so coronary heart disease is also sometimes called as ischemic heart disease.

The cause of coronary heart disease is related to multiple risk factors like:
 

Heredity: Coronary heart disease runs in the family.
 

High cholesterol: Levels of cholesterol in the blood are above healthy levels. This usually involves high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol.
 

Tobacco abuse: This includes not only smoking any form of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes), but also chewing tobacco.
 

Obesity
 

High blood pressure (hypertension)
 

Diabetes
 

Lack of regular exercise
 

High-fat diet
 

Emotional stress
 

Type A personality (impatient, aggressive, competitive)

Coronary Heart Disease Overview, Coronary Heart Disease Definition, Coronary Heart Disease Characteristics, CHD in US, Coronary Heart Disease in United States

Coronary Heart Disease Definition:
Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease, affects about 14 million men and women in the United States. Disease develops when a combination of fatty material, calcium, and scar tissue (plaque) builds up in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. Through these arteries, called the coronary arteries, the heart muscle (myocardium) gets the oxygen and other nutrients it needs to pump blood.

Coronary Heart Disease Characteristics: Detailed Overview-
The heart consists of 4 chambers: an atrium and a ventricle on the right, and an atrium and ventricle on the left. Blood returning to the heart from veins all over the body flows into the right atrium. From there the blood flows into the right ventricle, which pumps it out to the lungs for oxygenation. The oxygen-rich blood returns to the left atrium. From there the blood flows into the left ventricle, which pumps it at high pressure into the arteries. This entire process constitutes one heartbeat. The pumping, or contraction, of the left ventricle must be very powerful because that is what keeps the blood flowing throughout the body. The strength of the heart muscle depends on the oxygen and nutrient supply coming via the coronary arteries. These arteries are usually strong, elastic, and quite flexible. The heart has 3 major coronary arteries. Two of these arteries arise from a common stem, called the left main coronary artery. The left main coronary artery supplies the left side of the heart. Its left anterior descending (LAD) branch supplies the front part of the heart. The left circumflex (LCX) branch supplies the left lateral and back side of the heart. Finally, the right coronary artery (RCA) is separate and supplies the right and the bottom parts of the heart. As a child, the inner lining of the coronary arteries is quite smooth, allowing blood to flow easily. As a person ages, the cholesterol and calcium content in the walls of the coronary arteries increases, making them thicker and less elastic. Unhealthy habits, such as a diet high in cholesterol and other fats, smoking, and lack of exercise accelerate the deposit of fat and calcium within the inner lining of coronary arteries. This process is known as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The deposits, or plaques, eventually obstruct the blood vessel, which begins to restrict blood flow. Plaque is like a firm shell with a soft inner core containing cholesterol. As blood hits it during each heartbeat, the plaque may crack open and expose its inner cholesterol core, which promotes blood clotting. Clots may further reduce blood flow, causing severe pain (angina), or even block it all together. The plaque often narrows the artery so that the heart does not get enough blood. This slowing of blood flow causes chest pain, or angina. If plaque completely blocks blood flow, it may cause a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or a fatal rhythm disturbance (sudden cardiac arrest). A major cause of death and disability, coronary heart disease claims more lives in the United States than the next 7 leading causes of death combined.

Heart Conditions, List of Heart Conditions, Heart Conditions and Definitions

Coronary Heart Disease:
Coronary heart disease refers to the failure of the coronary circulation to supply adequate circulation to cardiac muscle and surrounding tissue. Coronary heart disease is most commonly equated with Coronary artery disease although coronary heart disease can be due to other causes, such as coronary vasospasm.

Coronary Artery Disease:
Coronary artery disease is a disease of the artery caused by the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium. Angina pectoris (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack) are symptoms of and conditions caused by coronary heart disease.

Cardiomyopathy:
Cardiomyopathy literally means "heart muscle disease" (Myo= muscle, pathy= disease) It is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium (i.e., the actual heart muscle) for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac death.

Cardiovascular Disease:
Cardiovascular disease is any of a number of specific diseases that affect the heart itself and/or the blood vessel system, especially the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart. Research on disease dimorphism suggests that women who suffer with cardiovascular disease usually suffer from forms that affect the blood vessels while men usually suffer from forms that affect the heart muscle itself. Known or associated causes of cardiovascular disease include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperhomocysteinemia and hypercholesterolemia.

Ischaemic Heart Disease:
Ischaemic heart disease – another disease of the heart itself, characterized by reduced blood supply to the organs.

Heart failure:
Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure (or CHF), and congestive cardiac failure (CCF), is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. Therefore leading to the heart and body's failure.

Hypertensive Heart Disease:
Hypertensive heart disease is heart disease caused by high blood pressure, especially localised high blood pressure.

Inflammatory Heart Disease:
Inflammatory heart disease involves inflammation of the heart muscle and/or the tissue surrounding it.

Valvular Heart Disease:
Valvular heart disease is disease process that affects one or more valves of the heart. There are four major heart valve which may be affected by valvular heart disease, including the tricuspid and aortic valves in the right side of the heart, as well as the mitral and aortic valves in the left side of the heart.

Heart Attack:
A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to an area of heart muscle is blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery.

Aorta Aneurysm:
An aneurysm or aneurism (from Ancient Greek: ἀνεύρυσμα - aneurusma "dilation", from ἀνευρύνειν - aneurunein "to dilate"), is a localized, blood-filled dilation (balloon-like bulge) of a blood vessel[1] caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall.

The above heart condition definitions are obtained from Wikipedia....Thanks

Heart Definition, Heart Overview and Heart Diagram

The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system (including all vertebrates), that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek καρδιά, kardia, for "heart".

The vertebrate heart is composed of cardiac muscle, which is an involuntary striated muscle tissue found only in this organ, and connective tissue. The average human heart, beating at 72 beats per minute, will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during an average 66 year lifespan, and weighs approximately 250 to 300 grams (9 to 11 oz) in females and 300 to 350 grams (11 to 12 oz) in males.

In invertebrates that possess a circulatory system, the heart is typically a tube or small sac and pumps fluid that contains water and nutrients such as proteins, fats, and sugars. 

In insects, the "heart" is often called the dorsal tube and insect "blood" is almost always not oxygenated since they usually respirate (breathe) directly from their body surfaces (internal and external) to air. 

However, the hearts of some other arthropods (including spiders and crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp) and some other animals pump hemolymph, which contains the copper-based protein hemocyanin as an oxygen transporter similar to the iron-based hemoglobin in red blood cells found in vertebrates.

The human heart is about the size of a fist and has a mass of between 250 and 350 grams. It is located anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum. It is enclosed in a double-walled sac called the pericardium. The superficial part of this sac is called the fibrous pericardium. This sac protects the heart, anchors its surrounding structures, and prevents overfilling of the heart with blood. The outer wall of the human heart is composed of three layers. The outer layer is called the epicardium, or visceral pericardium since it is also the inner wall of the pericardium. The middle layer is called the myocardium and is composed of muscle which contracts. The inner layer is called the endocardium and is in contact with the blood that the heart pumps. Also, it merges with the inner lining (endothelium) of blood vessels and covers heart valves. The human heart has four chambers, two superior atria and two inferior ventricles. The atria are the receiving chambers and the ventricles are the discharging chambers. The right ventricle discharges into the lungs to oxygenate the blood. The left ventricle discharges its blood toward the rest of the body via the aorta. The pathway of blood through the human heart consists of a pulmonary circuit and a systemic circuit. Blood flows through the heart in one direction, from the atria to the ventricles, and out of the great arteries, or the aorta for example. This is done by four valves which are the tricuspid valve, the mitral valve, the aortic valve, and the pulmonary valve .