One of the most vital organs of the human body is the heart. It is located anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum and weighs around 250-350 grams. The heart is a muscular organ responsible for pumping oxygenated blood through blood vessels throughout the body. It is also responsible for the successful elimination of waste products of the body specifically carbon dioxide. Like the brain, the heart also needs oxygen-rich blood to function and this is carried by the coronary arteries.
Coronary artery disease is the narrowing of the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart. Other names such as coronary heart disease and arteriosclerotic heart disease also refer to this disease. It is the result of the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques which occurs when fatty materials and other materials build up over time in the walls of the artery. Narrowing happens afterwards and manifestations of the disease then shall occur. Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease are closely related to high fat intake, less exercise lifestyle or obesity in general. The disease may occur in families as well and may also come with the hypertension, smoking and diabetes.
Coronary Artery Disease Statistics
In the United States, coronary artery disease has been the leading cause for sudden death both in men and women. Among the signs and symptoms associated with the disease are angina or chest pain, shortness of breath and arrhythmias. The disease is diagnosed thru ECG, cardiac angiography, stress testing and blood work ups. In some patients however the condition has no visible sign and symptom, it is only discovered when stroke or a myocardial infarction occurs which may eventually cause death.
Coronary Artery Disease Treatments
Conventional treatment for the disorder includes taking medications like ACE inhibitors, aspirin, beta blockers, calcium blockers and nitrates. Angioplasty a nonsurgical procedure that opens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries is also an option for treatment. Lifestyle changes are also an important part towards treating coronary artery disease. These include diet high in fiber, low in fat, patient must be physically active as well and patient’s weight and BMI should be controlled. Weight loss is a vital part in treating coronary artery disease.
As stated above coronary artery disease is closely related to obesity. The link to these two most prevalent and related disorder has been indirect however. Commonly, the relation has been noted towards other condition that obesity causes such as hypertension and diabetes then to coronary artery disease. Long-term longitudinal studies, however, indicate that obesity as such not only relates to but independently predicts coronary atherosclerosis. Thus, treatment towards control and prevention of further damage from coronary artery disease should include that of obesity. The first approach towards control of obesity is usually through diet programs involving more fruits and vegetables with an increase in physical activity. Next to this will be with the use of diet pills or medications. The last resort in gaining weight loss is through bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgeries have been gaining attention recently. People somehow think that these procedures give them instant and easy weight loss. This theory is however, untrue. Few of the known weight loss surgery are sleeve bariatric surgery, lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery. Given the scenario that an illness is present with obesity, the best choice is gastric bypass surgery. This surgery involves two parts, thus safest. First a part of the stomach is taken out and a small pouch is created then it is bypassed and reconnected to the intestine. The shorter route and the absence of the cells that produces ghrelin in the stomach help in the weight loss process. The gastric bypass surgery’s role in treatment of coronary artery disease is still not clear. Ongoing research suggests however that only surgery has been proved to produce substantial sustained long-term weight loss. Since with the disease then needs long term weight loss, gastric bypass surgery should be considered.
No matter what the therapeutic approach, it is important to realize that obesity is a disorder and that it may also cause other chronic illnesses that may shorten the life of an individual. Treatment of obesity should be based on its severity and the presence of comorbidities like coronary artery disease. To effectively control or treat these comorbidities obesity must also be controlled and treated.
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It is definitely a disease alright – to be obese. We should be more careful of our health and watch what we eat.