Category: Uncategorized

World Heart Day and beyond…..

~ bioquest107 ~ Leave a comment

I got curious and checked the Top 10 causes of death in the world. According to WHO, the world’s biggest killer is Ischemic heart disease, responsible for 16% of the world’s total deaths around ~4 million. Causes of heart disease include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, as well as old age. Symptoms of heart disease vary and some examples of these include chest pain/tightness, shortness of breath, fluttering in the chest, and fatigue in the body.

Coronary artery disease forms with a buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries as well as unhealthy lifestyle habits. Valvular heart disease forms through connective tissue disorders, infections, or rheumatic fever. Congenital heart defects form when a baby is in the womb, and as the heart develops blood flow may change resulting in defects.

We can decrease our chances of getting heart disease by leading an active lifestyle, managing stress, controlling blood pressure/cholesterol, avoiding smoking, and maintaining a well-balanced diet. Medication treat heart disease and some examples include ACE inhibitors, Aspirin therapy, Antiplatelet Agents , and Nitrates. Certain interventions for treatment include Heart Bypass surgery, Valve Disease treatment, Angioplasty, and Lead Extraction. 

The World Heart Day is Sep 29. Other awareness programs that provide education and support on the Cardiovascular disease topic include The Heart Truth, American Heart Month, High Blood Pressure Educational Resources, and more. The Million Hearts 2022 program has the goal to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in the next 5 years. Some strategies of this organization is using to further their goals include home blood pressure monitoring for hypertension control ,and relying on empowered care teams for underserved populations.

 Let’s help keep our heart beating…

My References:

https://www.heart.org/

https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death

https://watchlearnlive.heart.org/index.php

Human Vs Cancer

~ bioquest107 ~ Leave a comment

I was in the car with my Dad on way to school  and heard the campaign on radio about Kick Childhood Cancer. At the haircut place , i saw this poster. Cancer has taken over the World beyond our imagination. Global Cancer Observatory , research agency as part of WHO records that Number of new cases in 2020, both sexes, all ages is nearly 19M+ and Number of deaths in 2020, both sexes, all ages almost 10 M. Survival rate has shown improvement over the last couple of years but these statistics are still alarming.

Cancer is defined as a disease that results in uncontrolled division of cells impacting specialized functions in the body. This can happen in Skin, Respiratory system, Stomach, Lungs, etc. The cancer is usually named for the part where it originates. The reason for getting this could be many varying from  exposure to radiation, carcinogens, genetic transfer, unhealthy lifestyle, being exposed to cancer causing agents, etc.

The treatment options available includes Surgery, Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy and Radiation Therapy. Cancer treatment can cause side effects. It causes a lot of stress on the patient and their family and friends. Survival rate varies from type of cancer and are give in a 5 year time span.

We can reduce our cancer risk by following a healthy lifestyle including plant based diet, lean meat and fish, regular exercise, maintain a healthy body weight, applying sunscreen , vaccination, periodic screening, avoid tobacco and  alcohol consumed in moderation. These must be made part of lifestyle choice from very young age. Everyone must make a conscious effort to be part of this fight to endcancer.

My References:

https://www.cancer.org/

https://seer.cancer.gov/

https://gco.iarc.fr/

https://www.mdanderson.org/