Holistic Health: Understanding Well-being and Cardiovascular Risks
Health and Quality of Life: A Modern Perspective
Until the first half of the 20th century, infectious diseases caused the death of much of the population at any age. Under these conditions, being healthy meant not being ill. However, in the mid-20th century, the WHO defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Although this definition has been criticized, points of agreement remain: “the health of a person cannot be defined solely in terms of physical state; it is necessary to take into consideration mental health.” In any case, the idea of health cannot merely be the absence of disease but should be more ambitious and include positive elements such as the concept of well-being. The term quality of life is often used to refer to this way of understanding health. It is a very broad concept, influenced both by the objective health of the person and the satisfaction they derive from their lives.
What Influences Our Health?
A person’s health fundamentally depends on three types of factors:
- Individual Lifestyle: This includes all personal behaviors that impact health, such as diet and physical activity.
- Environmental Factors: These encompass social factors like access to healthcare, and environmental factors such as climate or pollution.
- Genetic Factors: These depend on the hereditary information contained within genes.
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, especially in developed countries. Their name comes from the Greek kardia (heart) and the Latin vasculum (small vessel), as they affect the heart or blood vessels.
Understanding Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
The human heart, just the size of a fist, is the strongest muscle in the entire body. With each heartbeat, it sends blood carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout the organism. The heart muscle, called the myocardium, receives oxygen and nutrients through blood supplied by the coronary arteries, which branch into many capillaries.
Myocardial infarction (heart attack) is a type of CVD. When a heart attack occurs, the flow of blood through any vessel of the heart is blocked. Blood cannot reach an area of heart muscle, stopping the supply of oxygen and nutrients. The result is the death of muscle tissue and permanent damage to the heart.
If the blockage is only partial, and reduces blood flow to an area of the heart, there is a sharp pain in the chest, called angina. In this case, it does not usually cause irreversible myocardial damage, but it is a sign that something is wrong with the heart. Myocardial infarction is also known as a heart attack.
Recognizing Heart Attack Symptoms
Heart attacks usually start as a pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts several minutes or tends to recur. The pain or discomfort can radiate to the arms, left shoulder, elbows, back, or jaw. Additionally, there may be:
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Cold sweat
- Paleness
Cardiovascular diseases are serious, and survival greatly depends on how quickly the patient receives treatment from a specialist. Every second counts. Therefore, it is crucial to act quickly and transport the patient to a nearby hospital. If there is no nearby hospital, call emergency services immediately.
Causes of Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial infarctions are primarily due to the obstruction of one of the branches of the coronary artery. The most likely cause of this obstruction is the deposition of lipids (fats and cholesterol) in the inner wall of the arteries. As a result of these fatty plaques, the lumen (diameter) of the artery becomes smaller, and its wall becomes rough and rigid. As blood moves through these rough spots, clots form, which can clog the vessels. In the heart, this is known as coronary thrombosis.
This process can be facilitated if, for some reason, the blood circulates more slowly than normal, or if vessel walls have lost their elasticity. Thrombus formation may also affect the arteries of other vital organs. For example, if it occurs in a brain artery, it is known as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke.
Defining Health Risk
Risk is measured by the probability that an event occurs.
Understanding Risk Factors
A risk factor is any circumstance or situation that increases the probability of an event occurring. For example, drinking more than the legal limit or heavy rain are risk factors for a traffic accident. Risk factors are associated with the disease or event being studied. They are not necessarily the direct cause, but rather circumstances that are linked to the event’s occurrence.