Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease
To understand the mechanism of cardiovascular diseases, let’s understand how heart works. Blood flows through the blood vessels in our body to deliver oxygen, glucose, nutrients etc. needed to run our body and keep our cells alive. When blood can’t get to cells and tissues, these tissues or cells may die.
Symptoms of heart disease:
In early stages, heart diseases often produce no symptoms. In later stages, warning signs of heart condition may include:

• Swelling
• Lightheadedness
• Excessive perspiration
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in your chest, jaw or arm
• Fatigue and weakness

Heart Disease Terms (angina / attack / stroke):
If blood to the heart is slowed for a time, it can cause chest pain known as angina. Angina is not itself a disease, but it can give a warning that something is slowing the flow of blood to the heart. A complete stoppage of blood is a heart attack. When the blood flow to the brain is cut off, this can cause a stroke.

Do you know?

• People with diabetes are:
  • 2 to 4 times more likely to get heart disease;
  • 5 times more likely to have a stroke than people without diabetes;
• Over 70 percent of people with diabetes also have high blood pressure or use medicines to treat hypertension.

Diabetes and heart diseases
People with diabetes are at particular risk for silent heart attacks. Diabetes can damage the nerves that transmit chest pain, which typically accompanies heart attack. Without pain, diabetic patients might be unaware of a heart attack.
By keeping blood glucose levels on target and limiting saturated fat intake, a diabetic patient can prevent clogging of her blood vessels.

Hypertension
High blood pressure not only increases risk for heart disease but also increases risk for other diabetes complications. If one has high blood pressure, his heart is forced to work harder than usual. This extra stress can damage the lining of arteries. Over a period of time it may cause arteries to narrow or become completely blocked.
If someone has both hypertension and diabetes, there is an even greater chance that his arteries may become clogged, further aggravating chance of cardiovascular disease.
Prevention of Heart diseases
There are certain things you can do to prevent cardiovascular disease:

• lower high blood pressure
• lower high blood glucose levels
• exercise
• stop smoking
• lower your cholesterol levels

Ask the DEERGHAYU Lifestyle Clinic Team today to prepare a lifestyle modification plan to lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.