Heart Disease

Heart disease research papers can focus on any number of elements related to cardiovascular issues related to heart disease. The exciting thing about ordering a project from Paper Masters is that every project is custom written exactly as you order it. Your project on heart disease will be written just as you need it to be.

Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, includes any number of conditions involving the human heart or blood vessels. It is the leading cause of death around the world. Coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertensions, arrhythmia, and angina are all types of heart disease. Scientists estimate that 90 percent of all heart disease is preventable, largely through lifestyle modifications including a healthy diet, regular exercise, the avoidance of tobacco, and limiting alcohol intake.

Risk Factors of Heart Disease

The risk factors for developing heart disease are numerous and well-know. Major risk factors for heart disease include the following:

• Age
• Gender
• Tobacco usage
• One's level of physical inactivity
• Obesity
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• A family history of heart disease

Individuals with a family history of heart disease are three times more likely to develop heart disease themselves. Further, diets high in saturated fats, sodium, and trans-fats, and low in fruits and vegetables are said to lead to heart disease.

Perhaps the most unsettling risk factor for developing heart disease is socioeconomic status. Even in advanced societies with a high level of material comfort, individuals in the lower economic rungs and with less education are far more likely to develop heart disease than those with greater socioeconomic status.

According to the American Heart Association, "Coronary heart disease is America's No. 1 killer." In fact it is estimated that this disease will kill more than 950,000 individuals this year alone. Given the large number of people that this disease affects there is an impetus for the American public to stand up and take notice of what promulgates the disease, what can be done to prevent it and what steps can be taken to live a more healthy life once an individual is diagnosed with the disease. This investigation considers these three points and attempts to draw some conclusions about what can be done to rise public awareness about this disease.

While heart disease often results in the onset of a heart attack, the blockage that occurs in the arteries that lead to the heart may build slow causing a weakening of the heart muscles over time. Additionally, if blockage occurs in the arteries leading to the brain a stroke will result. The process is similar to that which occurs in the heart and can perpetuate disability or death. While heart disease is the number one cause of mortality, stroke is number three.

Despite the wide range of etiology that can be associated with heart disease and stroke, there are a number of risk factors that can be identified. These include: age, heredity, cigarette smoking, diet, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, menopause in women, increased homocysteine levels, and stress. While these factors often vary from person to person, individuals with three or more of the above risk factors should regularly be tested for the disease to ensure adequate health.

What Steps Can be Taken to Prevent the Disease?

As with any major medical illness, the most formidable method to stay healthy is to prevent the disease from onset in the first place. Among the most notable steps that can be taken to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease are centered around lifestyle changes. Improving the quality of one's diet coupled with a basic exercise program can drastically reduce an individual's chance of developing coronary heart disease. For many individuals, however, the question of "what is a healthy diet" is often the most difficult to discern.

Looking at what various government agencies have had to say about what type of diet is appropriate for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it is clear that fresh vegetables and fruits, along with unprocessed brown rice foods are important to a healthy diet. Additionally, nutritionists recommend a reduction in overall fat consumption-although some amount of fat is necessary for normal metabolic function-and the use of a multi vitamin. "Most scientists agree that almost no one has optimum levels of many key nutrients and a multivitamin + mineral substance fills many of these gaps". Additionally a multivitamin reduces the levels of homocysteine in the blood. Because this chemical is a natural toxin, keeping levels low is important for improving overall health and reducing the risk of heart attack.