Combined, conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels – cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as coronary artery disease (CAD), heart attack, heart failure, and stroke – kill more than 20.5 million humans globally every year.
There is Hope
80% of premature deaths from CVD are preventable. By making small changes to our lifestyle – what we eat and drink, how much we exercise, and how we manage stress – we can better manage our heart health and beat CVD.
Being aware about the symptoms of CVD and knowing how to react may save us from devastating consequences. Because fast therapy is often able to prevent damage to the heart and other organs.
Therefore, this blog guides you through the most frequent CVDs, their risk factors and symptoms.
Coronary Artery Disease, What is CAD?
Coronary artery disease (CAD) develops if the large blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen (the coronary arteries) become too narrow. This happens if deposits (called “plaques”) build up in the arteries over time. Coronary microvascular disease occurs when there is damage to the inner walls of the heart’s small blood vessels. CAD is also known as coronary heart disease (CHD).
CAD can be acute or chronic. Acute CAD leads to a heart attack because one or more coronary arteries are blocked by a blood clot. As a result, part of the heart doesn’t get any oxygen. It is important to act quickly because otherwise that part might die. Heart attacks are often treated with a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) to quickly open the blocked artery again.
In chronic (“stable”) CAD, a coronary artery is permanently too narrow. As a result, less blood flows to the heart muscle. The heart is then no longer able to beat more strongly during physical activity because it doesn’t have enough oxygen. That can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath and a tight feeling in the chest. The symptoms go away again after resting for a few minutes, or after taking medicine. Long time shortage of blood supply of the heart may also make heart muscle cells die and result in heart failure.
For most people, coronary heart disease is preventable with a heart-healthy lifestyle and medications.
Possible Signs of Coronary Heart Disease
Possible symptoms of CAD include chest pain. Some people describe the pain as dull, pressing, constricting, or burning. Others may feel more like they have a large knot in their chest or throat, or as if they have a heavy weight on their chest. These kinds of symptoms, called angina (or angina pectoris), can make patients feel anxious or scared.
The pain often spreads into the arms, neck, back, upper belly, or jaw. This may be accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness and general weakness, sweating, or cold sweats.
Chest tightness is a less common CAD symptom in women, older people, and people with diabetes or heart failure. They are then more likely to have symptoms such as shortness of breath, upper abdominal pain, and palpitations.
Heart attacks can even go unnoticed (silent heart attack) in people with diabetes-related nerve damage.
For people who are experiencing CAD symptoms for the first time, it’s difficult to tell whether the symptoms are caused by stable CAD following exertion, or by a heart attack. So, it’s important to know the possible signs of a heart attack and know what to do in an emergency.
Possible Signs of a Heart Attack
The typical signs of a heart attack are:
- A strong feeling of tightness or pressure in the chest
- A stabbing, burning or heavy pain behind the breastbone
- Pain spreads to the left or right arm, the back, neck or upper abdomen (belly) as well
- Pain or numbness in the upper body that may spread to the shoulder blades, the front or back of the neck, and the jaw
The symptoms often start suddenly but can also be more gradual. The pain lasts for more than five minutes and doesn’t get better when the person rests.
Other possible symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea, vomiting
- Sweating or cold sweats
- Paleness
- Weakness, dizziness, loss of consciousness
- Intense anxiety or fear of death
If you do not know whether your chest pain is angina or a heart attack, call the emergency number (998 UAE) right away.
Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you.
Call an ambulance so that medical personnel can begin lifesaving treatment on the way to the emergency room.
During a heart attack, every minute counts.
Known CAD: Temporary symptoms or emergency?
It can be difficult for people who have CAD to tell the difference between temporary symptoms, a short-term worsening and an emergency. It is likely to be an emergency if the symptoms
- also occur at rest,
- don’t go away when you rest after physical strain such as climbing the stairs,
- don’t go away even after taking emergency medication (such as nitrate sprays),
- last for longer than a couple of minutes, or
- there are also other signs of a heart attack.
Even if you aren’t sure: Do NOT wait. Call the emergency services straight away!
What is Heart Failure?
In people with heart failure, the heart isn’t able to pump enough blood around their body. As a result, their organs, muscles and other types of tissue do not get enough oxygen, and blood collects near the heart. Heart failure is also sometimes referred to as congestive heart failure (CHF).
Heart failure is usually caused by another health problem that damages the heart muscle or the blood vessels. These are the most common causes:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Heart valve problems
- Abnormal heartbeat
Heart failure can occur suddenly, like after a heart attack, or it may develop over time, for example because of constant high blood pressure.
Mild heart failure may go unnoticed or only cause minor symptoms. It greatly affects physical fitness in people who have advanced heart failure, and they find it hard to carry out typical everyday activities. Various treatments can relieve the symptoms and help you live longer.
Possible Signs of Heart Failure
Heart failure can cause various symptoms. The most common symptoms are:
- Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing
- Tiredness and exhaustion
- Build-up of fluid in the feet, ankles or legs or – less commonly – in the genital area or abdomen (belly)
- Weight gain caused by the build-up of fluid
Other possible symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, urinating often at night, difficulties concentrating and a cough.
What is a Stroke?
There are two types of strokes. Around 90% of strokes involve blocked blood vessels (ischemic stroke). The brain cannot get oxygen and nutrients from the blood. Without oxygen and nutrients, brain cells begin to die within minutes.
A stroke that occurs because of sudden bleeding in the brain is called a hemorrhagic stroke. The leaked blood results in pressure on brain cells, damaging them.
Possible Signs of Stroke
The signs and symptoms of a stroke often occur quickly. However, they can develop over hours or even days. This sometimes happens when a transient ischemic attack (TIA) — a blockage that breaks up before it damages your brain — turns into a stroke.
The type of symptoms depends on the type of stroke and the area of the brain that is affected.
Signs of a TIA or stroke may include:
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or trouble understanding speech
- Sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
- Sudden trouble seeing from one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination
The FAST test can help you remember what to do if you think someone is having a stroke.
F — Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A — Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S — Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
T — Time: If you observe any of these signs, call emergency right away. Early treatment is essential.
If you think you or someone else may be having a stroke, call emergency (998 UAE) right away.
Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you.
Call an ambulance so that medical personnel can begin lifesaving treatment on the way to the emergency room.
During a stroke, every minute counts.
Risks to our Heart and Vessels – How to Reduce
Did you know that your heart is the size of your fist and the strongest muscle in your body? It started beating about three weeks after you were conceived. If you live to be 70, it will have beaten two and a half billion times.
However, although impressive and strong, our heart can also become vulnerable from habitual risk factors like smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, low physical activity, eating an unhealthy diet, or living with high blood pressure.
Quit Smoking
Smoking or chewing tobacco damages blood vessels, temporarily raises blood pressure and lowers exercise tolerance. By lowering the oxygen our blood can carry, tobacco use increases the risk of blood clots that can also lead to stroke and sudden death. The risk of a non-fatal heart attack increases by 5.6% for every cigarette smoked and persists even at only one to two cigarettes per day.
On the other hand, patients suffering from a CAD can cut their risk of a heart attack dramatically: After one year, the risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of a smoker’s risk, and after 15 years the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker. People who quit can achieve more for their health by this lifestyle change than by any medication they may take. The beneficial effect also applies for secondhand smoke. Read about the thread of smoking and the health benefit when quitting in our blog.
Talk with your doctor about programs and products that can help you quit smoking. If you have trouble quitting smoking on your own, consider joining a support group. Many hospitals, workplaces, and community groups offer classes to help people quit smoking.
Control Diabetes
People living with diabetes are twice as likely to develop and die from cardiovascular disease. Diabetes is a major global health threat. In the UAE, diabetes is even more frequent and affects 1 in 6 adults. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% of all people with diabetes. All of those living with diabetes are at heightened risk of CVD making the prevention of CVD onset a major priority.
- Diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves
- People with type 2 diabetes might also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or are overweight. These increase the chances of getting heart disease
- The longer a patient lives with diabetes, the higher their risk of heart disease and stroke
For adults at age 60, having type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease shortens life expectancy by an average of 12 years.
Within the last decade, several antihyperglycemic medications with proven reduction of CVD risk have been approved, including GLP-1 receptor agonists (medications end with -glutide) and SGT-2 inhibitors (medications end with -gliflozine).
Reduce Cholesterol
Our liver makes cholesterol, necessary for producing the hormones and compounds our body needs. As cholesterol in food adds to it, excess can cause arteries to narrow and block blood flow, leading to coronary and other diseases. High cholesterol does not hurt and for a long time does not make any symptoms.
Many factors affect our cholesterol levels such as age, sex, eating patterns, and physical activity. High cholesterol levels can also be inherited. Read about familial hypercholesterolemia https://theknowhow.ae/high-cholesterol-silent-killer/ in our last blog. Reducing unhealthy cholesterol levels by lifestyle changes and, if necessary, statin or other medicine can also reduce CVD risk.
Only a blood test can tell us our cholesterol levels. Talk with your doctor about having your cholesterol tested, especially when you have a familial history on high blood lipids or early CVD.
Normalize Blood Pressure
Many people have high blood pressure (hypertension). But they usually don’t notice it – it can only be detected by measuring the blood pressure.
If the blood pressure is high over a longer period, it strains the blood vessels. That can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke and damage the heart and kidneys. The higher our blood pressure, the greater our risk of developing these medical conditions.
Sometimes, a change in lifestyle is enough to lower blood pressure. But medications that can lower blood pressure (antihypertensives) are also available. Read more about hypertension in our blog.
Choose Heart-Healthy Foods
Heart-healthy eating involves choosing certain foods, such as fruits and vegetables, while limiting others, such as saturated fats and added sugars.
Foods to eat
A heart-healthy eating plan is rich of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, low-fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt, protein-rich foods as fish, lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
Foods to limit
A heart-healthy eating plan limits sodium (salt), saturated fat, added sugars, and alcohol.
Get physically active !
“Sitting is the new smoking.” According to new research, sitting for an additional hour per day increases our risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Regular physical activity, on the other hand, can reduce numerous heart disease risk factors such as “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, improve “good” HDL cholesterol levels, and help manage high blood pressure. It aids in weight loss, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, and improving management of the condition.
Aerobic exercise benefits our heart the most. This is any exercise in which our heart beats faster and use more oxygen than usual, such as brisk walking, running, biking, and swimming. The more active we are, the more we benefit.
Guidelines recommends that each week, adults get at least:
- 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or
- 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or
- a combination of both moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity activity.
Manage Stress
Research suggests that an emotionally upsetting event, particularly one involving anger, can serve as a trigger for a heart attack or angina in some people. Stress can contribute to high blood pressure and other heart disease risk factors. Some of the ways people cope with stress — drinking alcohol, using other substances, smoking, or overeating — are not healthy ways to manage stress.Therefore, learning how to manage stress and cope with problems can improve our mental and physical health – and reduce our risk to develop CVD.
Get Enough Good-Quality Sleep
Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout our life. During sleep, our body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain our physical health. Not getting enough sleep or good-quality sleep over time may raise our risk for chronic health problems. Over time, sleep deficiency can raise the risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Stay with us to learn about how to find back to healthy sleep in our blog next month.
TheKnowHow Independent Second Opinion Service
Are you or a loved one suffering from a cardiovascular disease? Have you been offered interventional therapy such as stenting your coronary arteries? You have been advised a coronary bypass therapy? You are under medication but not satisfied with their effects?
The KnowHow Independent Second Opinion Service is not intended to take you away from your treating doctor, but rather provide an extra level of competence.
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