Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) case study Flashcards
Global prevalence
- Leading cause of death worldwide
- 9.5 million deaths annually
Global distribution
- Highest mortality rate occurs in Eastern Europe, northern and Central Asia, parts of north Africa and parts of South East Asia.
Air Quality
Industrialisation has brought a number of negative effects:
- Exposure to airborne pollutants (especially particulate matter) increases the risk of CHD.
- This would indicate that rural environments would indicate a lower risk though there is no clear evidence of this in the developed world.
Climate
Studies have shown that there is an optimum range of temperatures at which CHD mortality is lowest.
Outside of this CHD mortality increases as temps rise and fall - extremes of cold or heat put additional strain on the cardiovascular system.
Relief and Topography
No clear links between CHD and relief apart from the fact that more challenging relief requires more physical effort which can be a threat for people with underlying conditions.
What percentage of people dying from CHD have one or more major risk factors that are influenced by negative lifestyles and what are they?
75-85%
E.g. Poor diet, physical inactivity or smoking
How does gender affect CHD?
Traditionally thought of as a disease of men
In the UK 1 in 7 men and 1 in 12 women die from CHD.
How does age affect CHD?
There is an increasing risk if CHD with age
How does social deprivation affect CHD?
There is a positive correlation between deaths from circulatory diseases and deprivation.
Premature deaths due to CHD are much more common in northern areas of the UK.
E.g. Death rate caused by CHD in Glasgow is over 3 times than that for Hart in Hampshire. (138 per 100,000) (39 per 100,000)
How does tobacco use affect CHD?
Up to 20,000 CHD deaths each year can be attributed to smoking as it lowers ‘good’ cholesterol and makes blood more sticky/viscous and more likely to clot, which can block blood flow to the heart and brain.
how does the use of alcohol affect CHD?
Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to raised blood sugar, increased fats and bad cholesterol in the blood leading to high blood pressure - one of the most important risk factors for a heart attack.
How does high blood pressure affect CHD?
Around 47% of heart attacks worldwide are attributable to hypertension.
Consistently high blood pressure means that the heart has to work harder and the extra strain causes the coronary arteries to slowly become narrowed from a build up of fat, bad cholesterol and plaque.
How does poor nutrition affect CHD?
A WHO report stated that a diets high in saturated fat, sodium and sugar and low in complex carbs, fruit and veg increases CHD risk.
How does being overweight and obese affect CHD?
Obesity is an independent risk factor for CHD but is associated with others such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
How does diabetes affect CHD?
Men with Type 2 diabetes have 2-4 times greater risk of CHD; women have 3-5 times greater risk of CHD.
High blood glucose levels can damage the blood vessels and the nerves that control the heart.
How does infrequent exercise affect CHD?
Physical activity reduces risk of CHD.
It is estimated that 35% of CHD mortality in the US is due to physical inactivity.
How does ethnicity affect CHD?
Racial and ethnic background seem to influence heart disease risk but lifestyle habits play a bigger role.
E.g. in the UK south Asians are more likely to develop heart disease and have a higher premature death rate than white Europeans.
African Americans are at greater risk in the US
