Yuki Hatano writes:
1) Mr. O's current risk factors for
another myocardial infarction are: 1) his high blood pressure; 2) his high
LDL level; 3) lack of exercise; 4) smoking; 5) family history; 6) lack
of the knowledge about myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and heart
disease; 7) being overweight.
For 3:
As many as 250,000 deaths per year in the United States -- about 12 percent
of total deaths -- are attributed to a lack of regular physical activity.
The relative risk of coronary heart disease (heart attack) associated with
physical inactivity ranges from 1.5 to 2.4, an increase in risk comparable
with that observed for high cholesterol, high blood pressure or cigarette
smoking. Less active, less fit persons have a 30 -- 50 percent greater
risk of developing high blood pressure. You can raise your HDL cholesterol
(good cholesterol) level by exercising, quitting smoking and losing weight.
For 4:
Nearly one-fifth of deaths from cardiovascular diseases are attributable
to smoking. It's also estimated that about 37,000 -- 40,000 nonsmokers
die each year from cardiovascular diseases as a result of exposure to environmental
tobacco smoke. From this fact, it is obvious tobacco is a very awful thing.
For 2+7:
Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease,
stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. "Angina"
chest pain results from narrowed coronary arteries. The artery will be
narrower with high blood cholesterol.
For 6:
Too much cholesterol in your blood can raise your risk of a heart attack
or a stroke. Extra cholesterol may be stored in your arteries(large blood
vessels) and cause them to become narrow. The amount of cholesterol in
an artery wall may be so large that the artery becomes blocked and blood
can't flow through it. If an artery that supplies blood to your heart becomes
blocked, you may have a heart attack. If an artery that supplies blood
to your brain becomes blocked, you may have a stroke. The best total cholesterol
level is under 200. An LDL cholesterol level of less than 130 is best.
An HDL cholesterol level of less than 35 puts you at higher risk for heart
disease, while an HDL level of 60 or above reduces your risk.
2) If you have another heart attack, 1) sit down or lay; 2) relaxing; 3)
(take nitroglycerin) and calling doctor; 4) do 1-3 calmly and quickly!
3) What should Mr. O do within the next few weeks to improve his health
outlook?
-At first, relaxing is the most important thing but stress is worse! So
rest and keep calm.
-Antihypertensives are available to lower high blood pressure. Some, called
diuretics, rid the body of excess fluids and salt (sodium). Others, called
beta blockers, reduce the heart rate and the heart's output of blood. Another
class of antihypertensives is called sympathetic nerve inhibitors. Sympathetic
nerves go from the brain to all parts of the body, including the arteries.
They can cause the arteries to constrict or narrow, thereby raising blood
pressure. This class of drugs reduces blood pressure by inhibiting these
nerves from constricting blood vessels. Another group of drugs is the vasodilators.
These can cause the muscle in the walls of the blood vessels (especially
the arteries) to relax, allowing the artery to dilate (widen). Two other
classes of drugs used to treat high blood pressure are the A.C.E. or angiotensin
converting enzyme inhibitors and the calcium antagonists (calcium channel
blockers). The A.C.E. inhibitors interfere with the body's production of
angiotensin, a chemical that causes the arteries to constrict. The calcium
antagonists can reduce the heart rate and relax blood vessels. In most
cases these drugs lower blood pressure, but quite often people respond
very differently to these medications. Thus most patients must go through
a trial period to find out which medications are most effective while causing
the fewest side effects. And studies showing that taking as little as half
a regular-strength aspirin tablet as soon as a heart attack is suspected
and continuing the drug for 30 days can significantly reduce the risk of
death, experts said. Aspirin works against heart attacks by helping to
dissolve clots of blood that block arteries and by preventing further blockages.
The drug interferes with the production of substances called prostaglandins,
which promote the clumping of blood cells called platelets. These cells
are essential to the formation of blood clots. So I recommend Mr O to use
aspirin with consulting doctor.
4) What should he do in the longer term to help prevent the occurrence
of another heart attack?
1) Eating healthy food can help lower LDL cholesterol level, and it may
protect you from the damaging effects of cholesterol.
* Eat more fruits and vegetables.
* Eat a variety of fiberrich foods, like oats, wholegrain breads and apples.
Fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels. Fiberrich foods can also help when
you're trying to lose weight, because they make you feel full.
* Limit high cholesterol foods.
2) Quit smoking.
3) Do moderate exercise regularly (for example, walk 20-30 min. 3 times
per week).
| Click the BACK button to return to the student index.|