How exercise can be used to prevent Coronary Heart Disease

How exercise can be used to prevent Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Heart Disease, chronic illness in which the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply oxygen-carrying blood to the heart, become narrowed and unable to carry a normal amount of blood. Most often, the coronary arteries become narrowed because of atherosclerosis(Arteriosclerosis, a group of disorders of the arteries, the tubular vessels that carry oxygen-carrying blood from the heart to the body’s organs and tissues), a process in which fatty deposits called plaque build up on the inside wall of an artery Plaque is made of oily molecules known as cholesterol, fibrous proteins, calcium deposits, tiny blood cells known as platelets, and debris from dead cells. Plaque formation often begins in adolescence and progresses very slowly over the course of decades. Gradually, the growing plaque thickens the wall of the artery, reducing the space for blood to flow through. When its blood supply is reduced, the heart does not receive sufficient oxygen. This oxygen deficit leads to two main consequences: chest pain known as angina pectoris, and heart attack, in which part of the heart dies because of oxygen deprivation.

     DIAGNOSIS

Patients with coronary heart disease are encouraged to quit smoking, exercise regularly, and eat a low-fat diet.

A variety of simple diagnostic methods may identify coronary heart disease before it becomes life threatening. Regular physical examinations, coupled with a person’s family medical history, may alert a physician that a patient has a high risk for heart disease. Cholesterol screening, a blood test that measures cholesterol levels, can identify people at risk for atherosclerosis.

An electrocardiogram: (ECG also known as EKG) provides a graphical picture of the different phases of the heartbeat. An EKG recorded when a patient is at rest and indicate that blood supply of the heart is not normal, and the ECG can detect damages from a previous heart attack. In an exercise stress test, an ECG is recorded while patients is performing physical activity such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. As the intensity of exercise increases, the Doctor looks for specific changes in the ECG that indicate the heart is not getting enough oxygen

An electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) records the electrical activity of the heart. Preceding each contraction of the heart muscle is an electrical impulse generated in the sinoatrial node; the waves displayed in an EkG trace the path of that impulse as it spreads through the heart. Irregularities in an ECG reflect disorders in the muscle, blood supply, or neural control of the heart. The study of electrocardiograph EKG is called electrocardiography

warning signs or symptoms

 Chest discomfort (pain or pressure in the chest, jaw, or neck, possibly radiating into the shoulder, arm, or back), unusual shortness of breath, dizziness or light-headedness, and heart rhythm abnormalities (sensations of heart beat skipping, palpitations, or thumping).

Risk factors

Some of the risk factors for coronary heart disease are beyond a person’s control. For example, a person’s risk of developing coronary heart disease increases with age.

Hereditary factors may also increase the risk for the disease. Males were once thought to be at greater risk of coronary heart disease, but more recent studies show this is not true. About equal numbers of women and men develop coronary heart disease. Heart attacks in women are more likely to be fatal than in men. Women tend to develop the disease later in life than men do. This is because the sex hormone estrogen that circulates in women’s bodies helps protect them against atherosclerosis. Therefore, most women do not develop coronary heart disease until after menopause, when levels of protective estrogen markedly decrease.

Other risk factors for coronary heart disease can be changed depending on a person’s lifestyle. These modifiable risk factors include cigarette smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension (high blood pressure). Perhaps the most important modifiable risk factor, however, is high blood cholesterol. When excess cholesterol circulates in the blood, it deposits in the wall of the arteries, hastening the progression of atherosclerosis.

Exercise  :

The heart is a muscle and needs exercise to stay in good shape. When it's exercised, the heart can pump more blood through the body and continue working at optimal efficiency with little strain. This will likely help it to stay healthy longer.

Regular exercise also helps to keep arteries and other blood vessels flexible, ensuring good blood flow and normal blood pressure and cholesterol. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors (along with high blood pressure, abnormal values for blood lipids, smoking, and obesity) for coronary heart  disease.

Evidence from many scientific studies shows that reducing these risk factors decreases the chance of having a heart attack or experiencing another cardiac event, such as a stroke, and reduces the possibility of needing a coronary revascularization procedure (bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty). Regular exercise has a favorable effect on many of the established risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

For example, exercise promotes weight reduction and can help reduce blood pressure.

Exercise can reduce “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood (the low-density lipoprotein [LDL] level), as well as total cholesterol, and can raise the “good” cholesterol (the high-density lipoprotein level [HDL]).

importance of Regular Exercise on coronary disease  Risk Factors

• Increase in exercise tolerance
• Reduction in body weight and obessity
• Reduction in blood pressure(HBP)
• Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol
• Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol
• Increase in insulin sensitivity

Importance of exercise on a person recovering from coronary heart disease

1.      improvements in muscular function and strength and improvement in the body’s ability to take in and use oxygen (maximal oxygen consumption or aerobic capacity). As one’s ability to transport and use oxygen improves, regular daily activities can be performed with less fatigue. This is particularly important for patients with coronary heart disease, whose exercise capacity is typically lower than that of healthy individuals.

2.      There is also evidence that exercise training improves the capacity of the blood vessels to dilate in response to exercise or hormones, consistent with better vascular wall function and an improved ability to provide oxygen to the muscles during exercise.

3.       Studies measuring muscular strength and flexibility before and after exercise programs suggest that there are improvements in bone health and ability to perform daily activities, as well as a lower likelihood of developing back pain and of disability, particularly in older age groups.

First, if you currently have coronary heart disease or are over 45 years of age and have 2 or more risk factors (immediate family member with heart disease before age 55, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, or obesity), you should consult your physician before starting any type of exercise.² Clearly, most people can derive significant benefits from integrating a half hour of moderate activity into their day. If you know you simply cannot or will not set aside a half hour of activity on a given day, then try to work more activities into the day by taking the stairs rather than the elevator, or try walking rather than driving a short distance to the store or you can park your car at a far distance and take a walk to where you want to go. Try to work several shorter periods of activity, such as 10 minutes, into your schedule. The most important thing is to get started is by starting small. There is mounting evidence in the scientific literature that physical activity and physical fitness have a powerful influence on a host of chronic diseases, a fact underscored by the recent Surgeon General’s report on Physical Activity and Health.⁴ Reducing the risk of heart disease through greater physical activity could have an enormous impact on health

Cardio (aerobic exercise). This makes your heart beat faster. It also lowers your blood pressure. Depending on what exercise that has been prescribed for you. Such as

v  Take a Walk

v  Jog round the field or up and down the street

v  Jump rope

v  Ride on a Bicycle

v  Skip

v  Skate

v  Row

v  Dance

Strength training: Tones and builds up your muscles. Heavy weights may raise your blood pressure short term. So stick with lighter weights and just lift them more times. Try hand weights, weight machines at a gym, resistance bands, or your own body weight. 

A good approach is to do several sets of each exercise, and then let those muscles rest a day or two between sessions.

How to get use to exercise as a beginner

If you are new to exercise, you will get the most from your workout if you follow these simple rules:

Start slow and continousely. The American Heart Association recommends you work up to exercising on most days of the week. The more exercise you can do, the healthier you -- and your heart -- will be. But any amount helps your health.

Build up gradually. Little by little, make your workouts longer or tougher over time. You should be able to talk during your workout. If you can't, it's probably too intense for you.

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