Heart Disease and Heart Attacks

Introduction

A heart attack, known in medical terms as an acute myocardial infarction, refers to the death of heart tissue following the rupture of atherosclerotic plaque in the wall of a coronary artery that causes a blood clot to block the flow of blood and supply of oxygen through the artery downstream to that area. Heart failure occurs when the heart fails to pump blood adequately, causing blood to back up in the veins that return blood to the heart. As a result, tissues throughout the body are deprived of oxygen which is normally transported by the blood. Backed-up blood causes fluid to collect in various parts of the body such as the lungs, lower legs, ankles, and liver (Thom et al, 2006).

Discussion

Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, includes a myriad of disorders involving the heart and its blood vessels. Many of these falls into the category of coronary heart disease, a term that itself encompasses a variety of conditions. Most coronary heart disease is due to a process known as atherosclerosis, in which fat and cholesterol are deposited in the inner walls of arteries throughout the body. Over the years, scar tissue and other debris build up as more fat and cholesterol are deposited (Malmstrom & Johannson, 2004).

There are two phases to the pumping action of the heart: the “squeeze” (systole), when the heart muscle contracts, pumping blood through the arteries; and the “relaxation” (diastole), when the muscle relaxes and the heart fills with blood, ready to begin a new pumping cycle. The type of congestive heart failure caused by coronary artery disease (“systolic heart failure”—the type most common in men) occurs because damaged heart muscle loses its ability to “squeeze.” In women, problems with the relaxation phase are more common (“diastolic heart failure”). The heart muscle becomes stiffer or thickened and does not allow the heart to fill with blood. The most common cause is long-standing high blood pressure; the heart muscle enlarges and stiffens because it is forced to pump against high pressure in the arteries (Miller & Taylor, 2005).

Congestive Heart Failure

In both sexes, hypertension greatly increases the risk of developing congestive heart failure. Women with diabetes are also at particularly high risk because they are more prone to coronary artery disease, which causes scarring of heart muscle and loss of “squeeze.” Congestive heart failure occurs more frequently in men than in women ...