OVERVIEW IN HEART DISEASE

The term "heart disease" can be used to describe any disorder of the cardiovascular system (i.e., the heart and blood vessels) that affects the heart's ability to function normally. Heart disease is also called cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease (CHD), and coronary artery disease. Heart disease is a major cause for heart attack (myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, stroke, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and ischemia (reduced blood flow).The most common type of heart disease is atherosclerosis, which results from progressive narrowing of the blood vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the heart (coronary arteries). It develops when deposits (plaques) build up on the inner lining (endothelium) of the artery walls.

The heart is the muscular organ in the chest that maintains the circulation of blood throughout the body. Blood that has traveled through the body returns to the heart and is pumped into the lungs, where it absorbs oxygen. Oxygen-rich blood returns from the lungs, enters the heart, and then is pumped through the aortic valve into the main artery of the body (aorta) and smaller arteries that travel to the head, arms, abdomen, and legs. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the organs and tissues of the body, which require oxygen to function. The coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the heart. Meanwhile, prevention of heart disease has centered on eliminating controllable risk factors. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and cigarette smoking are major causes of CAD.

Incidence and Prevalence Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States, and is a major cause of death throughout the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 61 million people in the United States have heart disease. The American Heart Association reports that approximately 870,000 people died from the condition in 2004. Heart disease contributes to approximately 40% of all deaths. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease accounts for more deaths in women per year in the United States than the next six causes of death combined. In February 2007, new guidelines for preventing heart disease in women were established. These guidelines, which are based on individual cardiovascular health, emphasize lifestyle modifications, such as smoking cessation, physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, and weight control, for all women.

In 1982, an American surgical team headed by William DeVries implanted the first permanent artificial heart in a human patient. Robert Jarvik, an American physician, designed the device. The patient, Barney Clark, suffered from many medical complications and died 112 days later. A number of other patients received the Jarvik heart, but none of them survived two years. In 1990, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdrew approval of the Jarvik device. Another model, similar to the Jarvik, is used as a temporary replacement heart at a few medical centers in the United States. Progress in treatment and prevention occurred about the same time as the dramatic advances in heart surgery. In the late 1960's, researchers developed beta-blockers. These drugs help in reducing high blood pressure, preventing angina, and controlling certain arrhythmias. Calcium blockers, which work like beta-blockers, appeared in the 1970's