The seven worst heart conditions in adults

Proven content

The heart is the most efficient pump we know. However, millions of people around the world die from its diseases each year. In the United States, one in four deaths is due to heart disease. There are many risk factors, but most of them can be controlled.

1. The median survival time after diagnosis of heart failure is five years. The disease most often affects people over 60 years of age
2. About 4 million men and 3,5 million women die worldwide due to coronary heart disease
3. Up to 8 million Poles suffer from arterial hypertension
4. You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page

Heart failure

It is a condition in which a diseased heart is unable to pump blood properly, making it difficult to deliver oxygen and nutrients to other organs. Most often it affects people over 60 years of age, but it can occur at any age. In almost 70 percent. cases is a consequence of damage to the heart in the course of coronary artery disease, and in other cases, arterial hypertension and other heart diseases.

Due to the scale of the disease, heart failure was called the epidemic of the 800st century. On the one hand, it is associated with the aging of the population, and on the other hand, with more and more effective treatment of cardiovascular diseases and longer survival of patients. In Poland, 10 thousand people suffer from heart failure. people, but in the next 25 years the number of patients will increase by about XNUMX%, with huge consequences for society.

The prognosis for heart failure is comparable to that of many cancers – the average survival time from diagnosis of heart failure is 5 years. The goal of treatment is to prolong life and improve its quality. Apart from pharmacotherapy, surgical treatment is also used. In extreme cases, the only solution is a heart transplant.

Coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction

Imagine that a reliable pump as we know it ceases to be supplied with blood and oxygen, and its cells use up their reserves and die. This is how coronary artery disease works – the world’s number one killer. It is because of it that about 4 million men and about 3,5 million women in the world die each year.

It is often asymptomatic and may take years to develop, and the first moment of realizing its presence is a myocardial infarction. The most common cause of coronary artery disease is atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of plaque in the walls of your arteries, which results in poor blood flow and insufficient nutrients and oxygen reaching the heart.

Interestingly, people in high-income countries most often die of coronary artery disease, and one of the reasons is the so-called Western lifestyle: smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol and poor diet, which is everything Poles had and have the biggest problem with.

Hypertension

It is a disease that does not hurt, does not interfere with normal life and is so common that it does not cause widespread concern. In our country, it affects every third adult, i.e. over 8 million Poles! However, the “apparent mildness” of hypertension is only a “cover”.

Raised blood pressure acts insidiously, for years, even decades, damaging blood vessels throughout the body. If left untreated or treated insufficiently, it leads to hypertrophy and then to heart failure. Other complications include stroke, coronary heart disease and infarction, kidney failure, hypertensive retinopathy, and dementia. It is worth remembering that we recognize arterial hypertension from the value of 140/90 mmHg.

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Valvular heart disease

Despite the progress in diagnostics and treatment, valvular heart disease is still a significant problem in modern cardiology, the importance of which increases with the extension of our lives. As we age, our valves calcify and degenerate. They cease to be perfect valves.

This is especially true of the aortic valve. Until recently, their treatment was possible only with cardiac surgery methods, which for patients meant a major operation involving cutting the sternum, opening the chest and stopping the heart. Older patients who were not eligible for such surgery simply died. Today, it is possible to perform much safer minimally invasive percutaneous aortic and mitral valve implantation procedures.

Myocarditis

It is an extremely insidious and difficult to diagnose disease, the symptoms of which for a long time may mimic ailments related to other diseases. The causes of myocarditis can be different – in most patients the disease is most likely caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

In many cases, myocarditis develops after a “passed” flu or as a result of negligent hygiene and poor treatment of the teeth, gums or periodontium. The patient’s prognosis depends on the course of the disease, which may be mild, severe or electrifying. In extreme cases, it leads to death, which can be avoided if a donor is found and a heart transplant can be performed.

The rest of the article is available under the video.

Atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac tachyarrhythmia. Its occurrence increases with age, especially after the age of 60. That is why it is also called “grandparents’ arrhythmia”. It is estimated that currently approximately 10 million people in the European Union suffer from arrhythmia, and by 2030 their number will increase to 14 million!

In Poland, atrial fibrillation affects about 600. people. The risk factors include the so-called civilization diseases: arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, but also heart muscle failure, heart valve defects, obstructive sleep apnea, lung and thyroid diseases, kidney failure and genetic predisposition. In atrial fibrillation, atrial contractions are lost.

This promotes blood clots that can travel outside the heart. The most serious complication of atrial fibrillation is ischemic stroke, when an embolus enters the brain. Almost every fifth stroke is caused by this arrhythmia. We currently have anticoagulants that can help prevent stroke if taken regularly. We are treating atrial fibrillation with ablation more and more.

Ventricular arrhythmias

Ventricular arrhythmias, especially ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, pose a risk of sudden cardiac death. This applies especially to people with damage to the left ventricle, for example after a major heart attack or with heart failure. The incidence of sudden cardiac death is estimated at approximately 1 in XNUMX people per year.

Therefore, it can be assumed that in Poland it amounts to about 38 thousand. sudden deaths per year. Sudden cardiac death usually occurs “prematurely” and falls victim to people in their prime. In people aged 20-64 it is the leading cause of death and is three times more common than cancer-related deaths. Currently, we have implantable heart defibrillators to prevent sudden cardiac death. The device itself detects ventricular arrhythmias and, if it determines that it is potentially fatal, terminates it with an electrical discharge.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to emotions. Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.

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