Heart disease for lay-people

[Guest guest]

Hi Al,

A description of heart disease for lay-people is below. The pdf is

available for the descriptive figure of the heart and its diseases.

The Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA PATIENT PAGE

Coronary Artery Disease

2540 JAMA ,Nov 24,2004, 292 (20)

Sharon Parmet, J.Glass, M.Glass

Coronary artery disease means narrowing of the coronary

arteries (arteries that supply blood to the heart).This

narrowing is due to a buildup in the walls of the arteries

of plaque (deposits made up of cholesterol,other fats,and

calcium)—a process called atherosclerosis (hardening of the

arteries).If a plaque becomes delicate and breaks,a blood clot will

quickly form that can block blood flow in the artery and may lead to

a myocardial infarction (death of the heart muscle area supplied by

the blocked artery),often referred to as a heart attack .The November

24,2004,issue of JAMA includes an article about coronary artery

disease.

SYMPTOMS

• Coronary artery disease can develop slowly without any symptoms..

•Angina —chest pain that can radiate to (or sometimes is limited to)

the shoulders,

arms,or jaw.Angina usually lasts several minutes and may be related

to activity,

exercise,large meals,cold,or stress.If angina lasts more than 15

minutes,there is a

risk that a heart attack may be occurring.

• Heart attack symptoms include severe chest pain,,shortness of

breath,sweating,and

nausea.Symptoms can be different in men and women,with women more

likely to

experience unusual fatigue after activity rather than chest pain.

DIAGNOSIS

Several tests can be performed in an emergency department to

determine if a heart

attack is occurring.Blood tests can detect certain substances in the

blood that are

released during a heart attack.An electrocardiogram (ECG,EKG)can

reveal heart

attacks and heart rhythm problems.

PREVENTION

• Don 't smoke.

• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

• Keep high blood pressure,

cholesterol,and diabetes under

control with diet,exercise,and,if

necessary,medications.

• Eat a diet rich in whole grains, fruits,

and vegetables and low in saturated

fat.

• A daily aspirin can reduce the risk of

heart attack,especially among men

older than 50 years.

TREATMENT

• Nitrate medication ((such as nitroglycerin)can be taken to help

stop angina attacks.

• Blood –thinning drugs,such as aspirin,can help reduce the risk of

blood clots.

•Statins (a kind of cholesterol-lowering drug)and beta-blockers (a

kind of blood

pressure –lowering drug)can prevent heart attacks and premature

deaths.

•Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—a thin balloon is threaded

into the blocked

artery and inflated,pressing the plaque and widening the artery to

increase blood

flow;a stent (a small flexible tube)is then placed in the artery to

keep it open.

•Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)surgery —uses a vein from another

part of the

body to bypass a severely blocked coronary artery.

If you or anyone you know experiences heart attack symptoms,call

immediately for

emergency medical evaluation.

INFORM YOURSELF

To find this and other JAMA Patient

Pages,go to the Patient Page link on

JAMA 's Web site at www.jama.com.

Many are available in English

and Spanish.A Patient Page on

coronary artery bypass grafting was

published in the April 21,2004,

issue;one on percutaneous coronary

intervention was published in the

February 11,2004,issue;and one on

electrocardiograms was published in

the August 23/30,2003,issue.

Sources:American Heart Association;National

Heart,Lung,and Blood Institute

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• American Heart Association

800/AHA-USA-1 (242-8721)

www.americanheart.org

• National Heart,,Lung,and Blood Institute

301/592-8573

www.nhlbi.nih.gov

The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA. The information

and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most

instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For

specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA

suggests

that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied

noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to

share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, call 718/946-7424.

Cheers, Alan Pater