Heart Disease
What is a cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular diseases are heart conditions caused by an obstruction of normal blood flow to the heart either through narrowed or blocked blood vessels. Some heart conditions include:
- Heart Attacks
- Strokes
- Heart Failure
- Arrhythmia
- Cardiac Arrest
How are obesity and cardiovascular disease related?
Patients suffering from obesity have a large amount of fat cells in their bloodstream. This excess fat causes build up over time that clogs major arteries and vessels that allow blood flow to vital organs – including the heart.
How does cardiovascular disease affect your health and lifestyle?
If left untreated, cardiovascular diseases can have significant life-threatening effects. Some obesity-related heart conditions include:
- Heart Failure: A fatal condition that stops the heart from pumping blood to the rest of the body
- Heart Attack: A blood clot that blocks blood flow to the heart, damaging the heart muscle.
- Stroke: Artery blockage that keeps the body from pumping enough blood to the brain.
- Aneurysm: Arterial-wall swelling that causes fatal internal bleeding.
- Peripheral Artery Disease: Insufficient blood flow to the limbs.
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest: A sudden loss of heart function, breath and consciousness – often fatal if not treated immediately.
How can you reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular conditions can be reduced by following rigorous lifestyle changes. Methods include:
- Weight loss through frequent exercise and dieting.
- The consumption of doctor-administered weight loss medication to help adjust the body’s metabolic process in digesting food.
- A reduction or elimination of alcohol consumption and smoking.
- Bariatric surgery to get rid of the body’s fat stores.