 Heart disease is the number-one
cause of death in the world. Even though major advances have been made in the treatment of
heart attacks, 60% of people who suffer a heart attack will die before they get to a
hospital and a large number who survive will be severely incapacitated. Reasons for Heart Attack
A heart attack, called a myocardial infarction by Western doctors,
is usually the end result of a life-long process of the gradual narrowing and hardening of
the arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Sometimes this process of narrowing, called
arteriosclerosis, causes symptoms of chest pain before an actual heart attack occurs. This
chest pain is called angina pectoris and usually means that the heart muscle is not
getting enough blood and that a heart attack may happen at any time. The pain results from
a reduction in the blood flow to the heart muscle which is not enough to cause permanent
damage to the heart muscle; it is something like a muscle cramp in the leg and is a
warning sign of severe narrowing of the vessels which supply blood to the heart, the
coronary arteries. Sometimes, though, someone who seems perfectly healthy will have a
heart attack with no warning at all.
A heart attack begins when the blood supply to a part of the heart
muscle is suddenly reduced or cut off. Sometimes this is caused by a blood clot, which
forms at a very narrow part of one or more of the coronary arteries. If the interruption
in the supply of blood to the heart muscle lasts longer than a few minutes, the area of
heart muscle that gets its blood supply from the blocked artery will die. Medications are
now available which can dissolve blood clots early in a heart attack if the patient gets
to the hospital quickly (within about 4 hours). The amount of damage to the heart muscle
can be reduced by prompt treatment.
Heart attacks that result in significant loss of muscle tissue can
be complicated by a reduction in the ability of the heart to pump blood throughout the
body and can result in congestive heart failure. Another complication can be an irregular
heartbeat called an arrhythmia. A heart attack is very serious and can cause the death of
a patient if a large part of the heart muscle dies or if any complications, which result,
are not treated promptly and correctly.
Treatment for Heart Attack
The very best treatment for a heart attack is to prevent it from
happening in the first place. High cholesterol levels, a sedentary lifestyle and obesity,
combined with other factors such as smoking, are the major causes of the arteriosclerosis
which leads to heart attacks. Examinations of men as young as 19 years old have revealed
the beginnings of arteriosclerosis, so prevention must begin at a young age. A diet low in
fat, especially saturated fat, is very important. Eating at least five servings of fruits
and vegetables a day can also help reduce the risk of having a heart attack. These can
include broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, beans, kale, bok choi, spinach, turnips,
asparagus, or just about any other vegetable.  Fruits include
apples, oranges and other citrus fruits (which recent medical research says may be
especially helpful), bananas, pineapples, peaches, plums, apricots, tomatoes (yes,
tomatoes are actually a fruit and not a vegetable), grapes (and try chewing the seeds, as
Europeans frequently do-a component of grape seeds called anthocyanidins are potent
antioxidants and may protect against heart disease) and just about any other fruit you can
think of. There are no fruits or vegetables which are not beneficial unless you have a
particular intolerance to one of them. Regular exercise is essential. Smokers should stop
and people who don't smoke should never start.
No matter how old you are, you should begin to take some of these
steps to prevent arteriosclerosis--and maybe even reverse it. Dr. Dean Ornish, an American
cardiologist, has found that a diet extremely low in total fat and very high in fiber and
complex carbohydrates can reverse even severe coronary artery disease. So it is never too
late to begin leading a healthier lifestyle. The life you save may be your own!
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