Heart DiseaseThe Unknown Killer Essay Research Paper

Heart Disease:The Unknown Killer Essay, Research Paper

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

A. Attention Grabber!!!

B. Purpose of the paper

1. To explain how chemistry is part of my life.

II. Body

A. An in depth look at heart disease.

B. Causes and symptoms

C. Explanation on how chemistry is used to treat and in some cases cure heart

disease.

III. Conclusion

A. Recap on how chemistry is part of my life and everyone’s life.

B. Elude to the horrors of a world without chemistry.

IV. Work Cited

V. Self Evaluation

A merciless killer stalks the people of this country. No one can run and no one can

hide, but there is a hope. The application of chemistry in the treatment of heart disease is

the key to ceasing this villain from claiming another victim. Education, though, is the

prerequisite to treating this relentless scourge. People must learn about the symptoms and

causes of heart disease in order to put this nefarious fiend to rest.

Heart diseases have been a major health problem in the United States for years and

are the leading cause of death. Nearly one million people die each year of cardiovascular

disease. Despite these impressive figures, the death rate from cardiovascular diseases has

declined since the mid-1970s, due to modification of risk factors for disease, and

improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

Most heart diseases are associated with inadequate blood supply to body tissue or

overwork of the heart muscle. Heart diseases may be generally classified as congenital or

acquired. Congenital disorders result from abnormal development of the fetal heart.

Acquired disorders of the heart are due to hereditary, environmental, and infectious

processes that damage the heart muscle, the coronary arteries, the heart valves, or the

conduction tissue.

Congenital heart defects complicate approximately 8 of every 1,000 live births.

Infants with heart disease often demonstrate poor feeding and failure to thrive. They may

exhibit respiratory distress with rapid breathing and heart rates of 160 to 200 beats per

minute. They may be ashen or blue in color and perspire excessively. Most of the defects

occur during the first trimester of pregnancy, when formation of the heart and blood

vessels takes place. Maternal infection with German measles (rubella), or alcohol use,

drug use, smoking, exposure to radiation, and genetic disorders have all been implicated as

causative factors.

The most common malformation involves a hole between the two muscular

pumping chambers of the heart, termed a ventricular septal defect. This results in

decreased blood flow to the lungs and mixing between the right and left sides of the heart,

a condition termed cyanosis or blue baby syndrome. The baby has a bluish discoloration

of the lips and skin, which is often more noticeable with crying and activity. Other

common malformations include atrial septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus, and

tetrology of Fallot. These defects cause an imbalance in the normally equal amount of

blood circulated through the right and left sides of the heart. This requires extra work by

the heart, and may eventually lead to heart failure.

The prognosis of infants born with congenital heart disease has markedly improved

in recent decades. More than a dozen of the most commonly occurring congenital heart

defects can now be totally corrected or significantly improved with surgical procedures.

Advances in medical and surgical treatment allow many of these children to lead normal

adult lives.

An example of an acquired disorder is coronary artery disease. The heart is a

functioning muscle and needs oxygen and fuel in order to do its work. It is the job of the

coronary arteries to supply the necessary oxygen and nutrients to the muscle. There are

three major coronary arteries. When these arteries become narrowed or blocked, blood

flow to the muscle is diminished, resulting in angina, a feeling of tightness or pressure in

the chest often associated with shortness of breath. At first, angina may only be evident

during periods of exercise or emotional stress, resolving when the activity ceases. Later, it

may occur even at rest. If the blood flow to an area of the heart completely stops, heart

muscle cells die, resulting in a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. The infarcted area

heals by forming a scar and is no longer a functioning part of heart muscle.

There are many risk factors for coronary artery disease. Smoking and elevated

cholesterol levels are major factors, and obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus have

proven to have adverse effects. A family history of coronary artery disease is also a major

risk factor.

The treatment of coronary artery disease is initially directed toward lifestyle

changes, such as cessation of smoking, moderate exercise, and low-cholesterol diet

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