
Smoking plays an important role in heart disease deaths. It is about 30% in USA and may be more in the poor and developing countries.
The adverse effects of nicotine include:
• Decreased oxygen in the blood, this less to the heart
• Too much of carbon monoxide
• High blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Blood clotting risk is increased
• Trigger of atherosclerosis, thus heart disease
Do not forget the cancer risk from tobacco. There are no healthy tobacco products.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
I am a chain smoker. What is the connection between smoking and heart disease?
Posted by
Dr. K. Padmanaban, Ph.D.
4:27 AM
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Can you explain me atherosclerosis?
Posted by
Dr. K. Padmanaban, Ph.D.
4:53 AM

The hardening of the arteries is normally called atherosclerosis. It occurs when the normal lining of the arteries are damaged. This makes the artery walls thick. The deposits of fat and plaque can build up there and this cause narrowing and in extreme cases blockage of the arteries.
In coronary artery disease which is a form of atherosclerosis, the arteries that supply blood to the heart is narrowed. This decreases the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Extra strain on the heart may result in chest pain and other symptoms like short breathing.
It it is not treated the result is heart attack. If the symptoms are there you must go to your doctor immediately. If it is severe go to the hospital directly or call for an ambulance immediately.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Cardiovascular diseases of Heart and Blood Vessels - High Blood Pressure
Posted by
Dr. K. Padmanaban, Ph.D.
6:58 AM
Although hereditary factors are there with our genes, we must learn many things from the experience of the others. We must see the food habit of people who are not getting heart diseases. Lifestyle plays an important role, smoking, excessive drinking, stress, too much of exercises and eating too much leading to weight increase are also risk factors. Kidney abnormalities, the large blood vessel leaving the heart, tumour of the adrenal gland and narrowing of certain arteries are big risk factors. Fortunately our doctors can treat this well. The right food can play a decisive role for the health of the heart.
In my experience we could not diagnose the reasons of high blood pressure around 90% of the patients. This is essential hypertension. Here tension plays a vital role. Tensions with partner, children, office problems, debts, mobbing and other unsolved problems are the normal problems. Fortunately, although doctors do not fully understand the causes of high blood pressure they have developed both drug and non-drug treatments effectively.
We try to get a basic overview of the cardiovascular disease and the conditions which can affect your heart and blood vessels; understanding all the different, possible types of it can be very confusing if you are not from the medical field or other health care professions.
The various diseases which fall under cardiovascular disease include:
• high blood pressure
• heart attack
• stroke
• coronary artery disease
• heart failure
The disease of heart and blood vessels are serious problems and it is the number one killer of men and women worldwide.
Cardiovascular disease is used most often to describe the damage caused to your heart or blood vessels by atherosclerosis, is a disease which affects your arteries and arteries are blood vessels which carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of the body, moreover heart must also get enough oxygen and other essential nutrients.
Healthy arteries are flexible, strong and elastic but in course of years, too much of pressure makes the artery walls thick and stiff, sometimes restricting the blood flow and this process is called arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. So, atherosclerosis is the most common cause of cardiovascular disease and an unhealthy diet with lot of saturated fats, overweight, lack of physical activity, smoking and excessive alcohol are the culprits normally.
Not all the diseases are caused by atherosclerosis and this include congenital heart disease, heart infections, heart valve diseases or the disease of the heart muscle, known as cardiomyopathy.
