PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROMOTION

Assignment - Public Health and Health Promotion

Assignment - Public Health and Health Promotion

Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common form of heart disease in Europe and in the United States. In patients suffering from this disease, the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart that are restricted or blocked (Dymond, 2003). Consequently, the heart does not receive an adequate flow of blood. The narrowing of the arteries is due to the formation of plaque on the inner walls of the vessels. Plaque is an accumulation of fat and cholesterol content in the blood, which generally are from the food and aggregate over time (Calnan, 2007). In developed countries, coronary heart disease is the most frequent cause of death and disability associated with cardiovascular disease, which accounts for about 30 percent of deaths in the west. CHD is divided into several forms:

Asymptomatic (silent), under which CHD does not manifest itself. Despite the absence of symptoms, is the most unpleasant form of coronary artery disease, because 70% of cases of sudden cardiac death are taking place among those suffering from asymptomatic (Calnan, 2007).

Angina, also called angina pectoris, is stronger chest pain during stress, exercise, overeating etc. Pain lasts from a few seconds up to 10-15 minutes. This is the most common form of CHD. Depending on the stage divided by angina-onset, stable and progressive angina. With further development of angina occur at rest, including at night (Calnan, 2007).

Arrhythmic manifests form arrhythmias. This form is difficult to differentiate from angina, it needs to carefully analyse the results of the ECG and the daily monitoring of the patient (Calnan, 2007).

Myocardial infarction - death of heart muscle area due to lack of circulation. The main reason - a complete or nearly complete occlusion of the vessel thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque (Dymond, 2003).

Myocardial infarction occurs as a consequence of myocardial infarction. Affected myocardium, and often heart valves. Their muscles are not restored and are replaced by scar tissue, which cannot perform the functions of muscle tissue. As a result of cardiac function deteriorates, there is heart failure and arrhythmias (Calnan, 2007).

Sudden cardiac death - heart failure, caused by a sharp decrease in the blood supply. This species of CHD include only those cases where the death occurs during the first hours after threatening symptoms (Dymond, 2003).

Health statistics reveal that coronary heart disease is not only common in old people but also a major reason of deaths in middle ages people in the United Kingdom. In fact, every sixth of old age people dies with coronary heart disease in the country as more than 2500 people die every year in Britain due to various heart problems and hundreds of people suffer from heart related injuries and chronic conditions (Allender et al., 2007). It is also important to know that there could be some social, economical, psychological and health reason behind the prevalence of heart illness in old-age population. It is also a reality that issues related to income ...