Chest pain - Animation

When people have chest pain, they're often concerned they're having a heart attack. I'm Dr. Alan Greene and I'd like to talk to you for a moment about the different kinds of chest pain and when it may be an emergency. It turns out, there are lots of different kinds of chest pain. In fact, almost everything in the chest can hurt in one way or another. Some of the causes are really nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Some of them though are quite serious, even life threatening. You can have chest pain sure from the heart, but also from pneumonia. You can have chest pain from asthma. You can have chest pain from a blood clot in the lungs. It can be from nothing more than a strain of some of the muscles between the ribs, or nerves. You can also have chest pain that comes from acid reflux of from a stomach ulcer, gallstones. Many, many things can cause chest pain. You want to call 911 if you are having sudden, crushing chest pain or if your chest pain radiates into the jaw or the left arm. You want to call 911 if your chest pain also causes shortness of breath, or dizziness, nausea, or vomiting. You want to call 911 if you know you have heart disease and you do occasionally have pain but your pain is getting significantly worse than it is ordinarily. Or comes on with less activity than it does otherwise. But whatever the cause of chest pain, unless you're sure what's causing it, it's worth contacting your physician to find out what may be going on. It's not a symptom to ignore.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) overview - Animation

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) includes diseases of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. It is responsible for more than half of all cardiovascular events in men and women under the age of 75 years. CAD, which is sometimes called coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease, is most often caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaque forms when cholesterol and other fatty material are deposited within the arterial wall. Plaque deposits narrow the coronary arteries that supply the heart, thereby reducing blood flow to the heart muscle. If plaque ruptures, it can trigger the formation of a blood clot and completely obstructs the flow of blood to the heart. CAD also has many non-atherosclerotic causes, including genetic abnormalities of the coronary vessels, systemic vasculitis, and radiation-induced coronary disease. When coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked, oxygen-rich blood cannot reach the heart muscle, resulting in chest pain, also called angina or myocardial infarction. Over time, CAD may weaken the heart muscle and lead to serious pumping problems and abnormal heart rhythms. Therapeutic approaches for CAD include the use of 3 strategies: First, treatment to reduce the heart’s workload Second, improving coronary artery blood flow Third, slowing down or reversing the build-up of atherosclerotic plaques. The heart’s workload can be reduced by controlling the BP and using drugs such as beta blockers or calcium-channel blockers that keep the heart from pumping as hard. Coronary blood flow can be improved by surgical procedures such as a percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting. A coronary artery thrombus may sometimes be dissolved by drugs, also improving coronary circulation. Modifying the diet, exercising regularly, and appropriate pharmacological therapy can slow down or help reverse atherosclerosis.

Heart disease modifiable risk factors - obesity - Animation

Excess body fat, particularly the accumulation of body fat around the waist increases the risk for heart disease. Obesity, defined as a body mass index above 30, is a strong predictor of CVD. Excess body weight increases the external work for the heart, resulting in an increase in BP, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Excess body weight also lowers HDL cholesterol levels and increases the incidence of diabetes. Even a moderate weight reduction can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Chest pain - Animation

When people have chest pain, they're often concerned they're having a heart attack. I'm Dr. Alan Greene and I'd like to talk to you for a moment about the different kinds of chest pain and when it may be an emergency. It turns out, there are lots of different kinds of chest pain. In fact, almost everything in the chest can hurt in one way or another. Some of the causes are really nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Some of them though are quite serious, even life threatening. You can have chest pain sure from the heart, but also from pneumonia. You can have chest pain from asthma. You can have chest pain from a blood clot in the lungs. It can be from nothing more than a strain of some of the muscles between the ribs, or nerves. You can also have chest pain that comes from acid reflux of from a stomach ulcer, gallstones. Many, many things can cause chest pain. You want to call 911 if you are having sudden, crushing chest pain or if your chest pain radiates into the jaw or the left arm. You want to call 911 if your chest pain also causes shortness of breath, or dizziness, nausea, or vomiting. You want to call 911 if you know you have heart disease and you do occasionally have pain but your pain is getting significantly worse than it is ordinarily. Or comes on with less activity than it does otherwise. But whatever the cause of chest pain, unless you're sure what's causing it, it's worth contacting your physician to find out what may be going on. It's not a symptom to ignore.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) overview - Animation

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) includes diseases of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. It is responsible for more than half of all cardiovascular events in men and women under the age of 75 years. CAD, which is sometimes called coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease, is most often caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaque forms when cholesterol and other fatty material are deposited within the arterial wall. Plaque deposits narrow the coronary arteries that supply the heart, thereby reducing blood flow to the heart muscle. If plaque ruptures, it can trigger the formation of a blood clot and completely obstructs the flow of blood to the heart. CAD also has many non-atherosclerotic causes, including genetic abnormalities of the coronary vessels, systemic vasculitis, and radiation-induced coronary disease. When coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked, oxygen-rich blood cannot reach the heart muscle, resulting in chest pain, also called angina or myocardial infarction. Over time, CAD may weaken the heart muscle and lead to serious pumping problems and abnormal heart rhythms. Therapeutic approaches for CAD include the use of 3 strategies: First, treatment to reduce the heart’s workload Second, improving coronary artery blood flow Third, slowing down or reversing the build-up of atherosclerotic plaques. The heart’s workload can be reduced by controlling the BP and using drugs such as beta blockers or calcium-channel blockers that keep the heart from pumping as hard. Coronary blood flow can be improved by surgical procedures such as a percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting. A coronary artery thrombus may sometimes be dissolved by drugs, also improving coronary circulation. Modifying the diet, exercising regularly, and appropriate pharmacological therapy can slow down or help reverse atherosclerosis.

Heart disease modifiable risk factors - obesity - Animation

Excess body fat, particularly the accumulation of body fat around the waist increases the risk for heart disease. Obesity, defined as a body mass index above 30, is a strong predictor of CVD. Excess body weight increases the external work for the heart, resulting in an increase in BP, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Excess body weight also lowers HDL cholesterol levels and increases the incidence of diabetes. Even a moderate weight reduction can reduce the risk of heart disease.