Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States (Essay Sample)

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Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States
Abstract
In most developed countries of the world, diseases of the circulatory systems have been the main cause of deaths. Despite the disease prevalence differing from one part of the world to the other, Cardiovascular Disease commonly abbreviated as C.V.D has still managed to maintain its status as the most dreadful cause of deaths. In Europe alone, C.V.D is the main cause of two thirds of the deaths reported annually. The rate of causing deaths from the disease is even high in the United States of America. This totally account to an approximate of half the total number of deaths jointly reported both in Europe and the United States. Cancer is another scare to life in the two named regions but recent studies have established that C.V.D has overtaken cancer and it is the most dreaded cause of death.
Introduction
There are numerous types of cardiovascular diseases. Some of these diseases are mainly diseases that are related to the heart in one way or the other. The other category that we can distinguish cardiovascular diseases is the diseases that are related to the arteries (atherosclerosis).The final category is the combination of the two categories named above. These will be the diseases that attack the heart and the arteries at the same given time and a good example of such a disease is hypertension. When the heart is not functioning at its best there will be poor blood supply to the entire body and this in return will have several fatal consequences depending on the body part experiencing the poor blood supply. When the brain is deprived of enough oxygen supply, fainting and feeling dizzy will be among the first symptoms to be noted.
Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease
One most common cause of C.V.D is by congenital defects to the heart. These defects are to the structure of the heart including the large blood vessels present in the heart. One the structure of the heart is destroyed, the resultant disease is called congenital heart disease. The high is designed in such a way to allow easy and smooth flow of the blood to each and every part of the body. The ventricles of the heart are adapted to this specific function and have been found to be having thick walls. The walls help in applying enough pressure to the blood as it is pumped out of the heart. The auricles of the heart on the other hand have several blood valves so that they can prevent the back flow of blood back into the heart. Defects to these structures of adaptability of the heart will result into congenital heart disease. (Molina, Marilyn, Carlo 102)
Inflammation is another factor that contributes towards C.V.D. This can be an underlying inflammatory process in the heart. The inflammation can be either fungal of bacterial. The actual occurrence of the inflammation can in the inner and at times in the outer membrane of the heart. The inflammation at the inner membranes will affect the valves present and reduce the functionality of the respective blood valves. When blood valves fail to perform at their best there will be a backward flow of blood towards the heart. This will reduce the actual blood volume to be circulated through the body. The body organs will lack sufficient oxygen and result into failure of body organ performance. Inflammation taking place on the outer membranes of the heart tend to replicate faster than normal resulting to purulent inflammation of the individual’s heart.
The entire cardiovascular system is comprised of the blood vessels and the heart itself. These vessels have a filling of liquid tissue (blood) that is the media or means of nutrients to be supplied all across the body. The heart is simply the engine responsible for pumping blood. Arteries are the type of blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the various tissues of the body. They form a tree like branching system and get smaller and smaller as the branching continues. Arterioles are the small version of arteries and are also divided into fine and smaller vessels called capillaries. It is from the small capillaries that small veins originate from. The small veins come together and merge to form even stronger veins. It is in the capillaries that the absorption of nutrients from the blood to the tissue takes place. In addition to the nutrients, there is also the absorption of oxygen from the blood. (Molina, Marilyn, Carlos 102)
Removal of the metabolic waste products takes place in the specific organ which is responsible for that function. The veins formed from capillaries transport the blood back to the heart. It is important to notice that the heart is in the middle of the entire cardiovascular system. The walls of capillaries are semi permeable and the cells of the tissues release their metabolic waste and carbon dioxide back to the blood through the process of osmosis.
Causes and Risk factors of Cardiovascular System
Smoking-tobacco is known to contain the alkaloid nicotine. Nicotine is the substance responsible for raising blood pressure, speeds up an individual breathing rate and causes constriction of the small blood vessels. Inhaling the smoke coming from cigarettes is not healthy because the smoke itself contains combustion products of the tobacco present. This reduces the oxygen levels presents in arterial blood. Cigarette smoking has nowadays become a very common habit among people not putting into considerations the effects it has towards the cardiovascular system. Research has it that the average rate for mortality among smokers is approximately 3 times higher than it is with non-smokers. American scientists on the other hand have established that cigarette smoking contributes to a total of 325 deaths annually. These deaths can be associated to C.V.D in one way or the other. (Wilder, Charles S 67)
Psychological factors-emotions can be a factor to consider avoiding so as preventing oneself from the heart diseases. An emotional driven person has a high chance of getting C.V.D as compared to a person who is living a stress and emotion free way of life. Studies have shown that emotional people tend to be hostile and very unfriendly. This results to hormone imbalance and increase the rate of heartbeat. The heart in the process gets used to being overworked and this leads to heart diseases and other cardiovascular system ailments. (Molina, Marilyn, Carlos 102)
Overweight-being overweight has become a serious health problem ever since. The actual reason behind being overweight is the presence of several types of foods rich in calories and having low energy use in the name of sedentary lifestyles that we have adapted to. This will force the heart to use more force in pumping blood and thus overworking it. The heart will struggle to push blood through the small blood vessels that have constricted because of the layer of fat overlying the blood vessels. This factor goes together with elevated levels of cholesterol in the body. Obese people tend to have a high level of cholesterol as compared to the ones having a normal body weight. (Wilder, Charles S 67)
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