Cardiovascular Heart Disease 1

Cardiovascular Heart Disease

Taber T. Fellows
SLCC Psychology 1100
Dr. Dana Erskine




Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes 2

Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes
After being diagnosed with type-II diabetes, as well as, heart attacks brought on by
hardening of the arteries. This research paper will be focusing on cardiovascular heart disease
and diabetes. With the four heart attacks Ive had the symptoms I experienced were very painful.
The pain ran throughout the upper parts of my body, my chest felt like an elephant was sitting on
it, making it difficult for me to catch my breath.
The pain moved across my arms and chest, my hands became numb like with a tingling
sensation, I broke out into cold sweats, feeling very weak and tired with little to no energy. I
definitely felt nauseated and lightheaded making me aware that I was having a heart attack.
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense - in the movie heart attack there was no
doubt what was happening. However some heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or
discomfort. Often times, people affected arent sure whats going wrong and wait too long before
getting help. Here are a few common signs that tell us a heart attack is happening:
Chest discomfort: most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest
that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. Its an
uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness and pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: symptoms include pain or discomfort
in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath: with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, feeling nauseated and lightheaded.
These tell-tale signs are common in both men and women however; women are more likely than
men to experience other symptoms such as, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, back pain and
pain in the jaw.
Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes 3

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is
severely reduced or stopped. This happens because coronary arteries that supply the heart with
blood slowly become thicker and harder from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances
called plaque. This process is known as Atherosclerosis. If the plaque breaks open and a blood
clot forms it blocks the blood flow and a heart attack occurs. The pictures below are provided by
the American Heart Association:

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) occurs when the inside (the lumen) of one or more
coronary arteries narrows, limiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to surrounding heart muscle
tissue. Atherosclerosis is the process that causes the artery wall to get thick and stiff. It can lead
to complete blockage of the artery, which can cause a heart attack. The disease process begins
when LDL (bad cholesterol) deposits cholesterol in the artery wall. The body has an immune
response to protect itself and sends white blood cells called macrophages to engulf the invading
Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes 4

cholesterol in the artery wall. When the macrophages are full of cholesterol, they are called foam
cells because of their appearance. As more foam cells collect in the artery wall, a fatty
streak develops between the intima and the media. If the process is not stopped, the fatty streak
becomes a plaque, which pushes the intima into the lumen, narrowing the blood flow. The plaque
develops a fibrous coating on its outer edges. But if cholesterol continues to collect in foam cells
inside the plaque, the fibrous outer coating can weaken and eventually rupture. Smaller arteries
downstream from the rupture can quickly become blocked. Over time, a clot may develop at the
rupture site and completely block the artery. A myocardial infarction (heart attack) occurs when
the heart muscle tissue does not receive vital oxygen and nutrients.
Atherosclerosis is a type of arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis causes arteries to narrow,
weaken and be less flexible. It's the term for the process of fatty buildup in the inner lining of an
artery. The buildup that results is called plaque and reduces the amount of blood and oxygen that
is delivered to vital organs.


Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes 5



Atherosclerosis causes arteries to narrow and shrink, this particular occurrence is
precisely what has happened to me in all four of my heart attacks. Due to Atherosclerosis
happening to me Ive had to have three stents placed in my arteries to balloon them out. The
following pictures are of a stent. A Coronary Stent is a tiny wire mesh tube used to prop open an
artery during angioplasty. The stent stays in the artery permanently. The stent will also improve
blood flow to the heart muscle and will relieve chest pain (angina).


Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes 6

Another medical condition can also attribute Atherosclerosis. This condition is diabetes
where several disorders are characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood.
How Diabetes Drives Atherosclerosis
Researchers have discovered how diabetes, by driving inflammation and slowing blood
flow, dramatically accelerates Atherosclerosis. Experts once believed that Atherosclerosis, or
hardening of the arteries, developed when too much cholesterol clogged arteries with fatty
deposits called plaques. When blood vessels became completely blocked, heart attacks and
strokes occurred.
Today most agree that the reaction of the body's immune system to fatty build-up, more
than the build-up itself, creates heart attack risk. Immune cells traveling with the blood mistake
fatty deposits for intruders, akin to bacteria, home in on them, and attack. This causes
inflammation that makes plaques more likely to swell, rupture and cut off blood flow.
Making matters worse, nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes, a disease where
patients' cells cannot efficiently take in dietary sugar, causing it to build up in the blood. In part
because diabetes increases atherosclerosis-related inflammation, diabetic patients are twice as
likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
Detections of the disease:
Electrocardiogram: A recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abbreviated ECG
and EKG: An ECG is a simple, noninvasive procedure. Electrodes are placed on the skin of the
chest and connected in a specific order to a machine that, when turned on, measures electrical
activity all over the heart. Output usually appears on a long scroll of paper that displays a printed
graph of activity on a computer screen. The initial diagnosis of heart attack is usually made
Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes 7

through observation of a combination of clinical symptoms and characteristic ECG changes. An
ECG can detect areas of muscle deprived of oxygen and/or dead tissue in the heart.
Medication are known to sometimes adversely affect heart function, a baseline ECG may
be ordered before the patient starts taking the medicine and follow-up testing may occur at
regular intervals to look for any changes. The tests you'll need to diagnose your heart disease
depend on what condition your doctor thinks you might have. No matter what type of heart
disease you have, your doctor will likely perform a physical exam and ask about your personal
and family medical history before doing any tests.
Tests to diagnose heart disease can include: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):
Cardiac catheterization: Echocardiogram: Electrocardiogram (ECG): Cardiac computerized
tomography (CT) scans: Heart Biopsy: Holter Monitoring: Chest X-ray: Blood tests:
Each year approximately 40,000 babies are born in the United States with a congenital
heart defect. Thousands of them will not reach their first birthday and thousands more die before
they reach adulthood.
Each year over 1,000,000 babies are born worldwide with a congenital heart defect.
100,000 of them will not live to see their first birthday and thousands more die before they reach
adulthood. Based on my ethnic background, my family history, and my lifestyle, it is apparent to
me and my family physician that I am a carrier/agent of cardiovascular heart disease and
Diabetes.
Knowing my parents history and my grandparents history as well as their parents, the
gene of having and carrying a cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes, may have been past on
throughout each generation. Prenatal diagnosis of cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes is
possible. However, it is not a professional diagnosis.
Cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes 8

References:
2012, American Heart Association, Inc: All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
The content in this library is for educational purposes only, and therefore is not intended to be a
substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
http://watchlearnlive.heart.org/CVML_Player.php
Date: March 17, 2008 Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Summary: Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by University of
Rochester Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Cite This Page: MLA APA Chicago
University of Rochester Medical Center: "How Diabetes Drives Atherosclerosis." Science
Daily Science Daily, 17 March 2008.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313124430.htm>.

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