Heart disease free essay sample

The current age composition of the United States population according to the 2011 Census 313,232,044 as of July 2011.. There is an increase of 9. 7 % since 2000. The data shows that the male population grew 9. 9%, which is somewhat more rapidly than the female population, which was 9. 5%. Of the 308. 7 million people, 157 million were female and 151. 8 were male. People under the age of 18 were 112. 8; people of age 45-64 were 81. 5 million. The 40. 3 million people of the 313,232,044 were age 65 and over (Howden, Meyer, 2011). The aging trend is likely to decrease the following health issues, like heart disease and stroke. Heart disease has controllable risk factors like, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes tobacco use, obesity and poor diet. It is important for one to address these risks early because only then he or she can prevent the problems of cardiovascular disease. A poor diet that consists of high fat, high cholesterol and excess salt can add to causes for heart disease. The chemicals in cigarettes harm ones blood cells, and damage the function of his or her heart and blood vessels. High cholesterol causes build up called (atherosclerosis) and that narrows ones heart arteries, causing angina, heart attack or sudden death. Hypertension can harden and thicken ones arteries and this makes the vessels, which blood travels through narrow, thus not enough blood flows through the heart and to the rest of the body organs. Diabetes and obesity also contribute to heart disease and one must learn how to control his or her weight and blood glucose (Heart Disease, 2011). Environmental factors that support this trend in aging are, exercising and ones diet. Whether one exercises or is inactive is a major factor. Exercise affects the aging process more than genes do. If one is not active, he or she can die prematurely from many conditions and diseases. Inactivity can also cause one to become immobilized at an earlier age. Ones diet also can be a factor in aging. A healthy low fat diet can help one have a healthier longer life (Which Environmental Factors Affect Aging? , 2006-2012). A stroke take places when the blood supply to ones brain is decreased and oxygen is not delivered to the brain tissue. If oxygen is not delivered to the brain tissue, the brain cells die in minutes. A person suffering a stroke needs to be taken to the emergency room. Immediate treatment is critical because e it can lessen brain damage and possible problems. For one to stroke he or she has to control his or her high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. Strokes can be both prevented and treated (Stroke, 2011). Health complication related to aging can be reduced if one starts to take better care of him or herself early on in life. Two examples for reducing health complications related to aging are, to lose excess weight and to stop smoking. By losing excess weight, one can prevent heart disease, stroke, depression, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, many kinds of cancer and osteoarthritis (Obesity, 2011). A person that stops smoking can reduce health complications related to aging because smoking destroys the cells inside ones body and this speeds up the aging process. Smoking raises blood pressure slows down digestion and decrease blood flow to the body. Smoking damages the skin also by causing wrinkles, and by giving it a gray pale look. Smoking does not only speed up ones aging process, but it also shortens his or her life span by 10 years (Cashin, 2010). According to Overweight and Obesity (2011), The current rate of obesity in the United States is 33. 8% which equals to about one in three Americans. Some groups like non- Hispanic blacks have 44. 1% obesity and Mexican Americans have a 39. 3%while all Hispanics have 37. 9% obesity and the group that has the lowest percentage is the non-Hispanic white which is 32. 6%. Environmental factors that can change the rate of obesity in the next 10 to 20 years in the United States are more consumption of excess caloric intake from sugars, fats, carbohydrates and proteins. A persons decision based on his or her environmental factor can be that he cannot walk to work or to do his or her errands because there are no sidewalks. Steps that can be taken to reduce obesity are to increase physical activity, to spend less time on the couch snacking on fatty snacks and watching television. As a community, we can ask the food industry to serve smaller food and beverage portion sizes and to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in their menus. As parents, we can introduce vegetables to our children at a very early age, limit sweets and spend more time with them on outdoor activities. Set limits on how much time they can watch television, and play with hand help computers and toys (Overweight Obesity, 2011). The obesity trend is likely to increase the health issues in the next 10 to 20 years because obesity causes, coronary artery disease, and type 2 diabetes. Coronary artery disease happens when the major blood vessels that supply ones heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients become narrow and hard because of plaque buildup (atherosclerosis). Losing the excess weight and by eating a low fat low cholesterol diet one can avoid coronary artery disease. Coronary angioplasty and the placing of a stent keep can ones blood to travel more easily through the arteries. Medications prevent further damage and make the process of blood traveling to the heart easier. Living a healthy life-style prevents and slows progress of coronary artery disease. Increasing physical activity and eating low fat, low salt and more fruits vegetables and fiber is a good start to a healthy life-style. If one is smoking, he or she must quit immediately because tobacco plays a major role in the causing of coronary artery disease (Coronary Artery Disease, 2001-2012). Type 2 diabetes happens when ones body resists the effects of insulin, or does not make as much as necessary insulin to retain a regular glucose level. Immobile and having excess weight contributes to this type 2 diabetes condition. There is no cure for it but one can prevent it, and even manage this condition. Healthy eating is a start, exercising, and keeping a good for your health weight is necessary to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes. Diabetes medicine or insulin therapy may be needed if diet and exercise cannot control ones type 2-diabetes condition (Type 2 Diabetes, 2011). According to University of Phoenix Trends in aging-United States and Worldwide (2003) in the future health care delivery will adapt to caring for age-related health issues by, developing and sustaining improved techniques, and procedure to observe further health outcomes that are associated to older adults such as performance, and quality of life. The public health system has to start teaching healthy behaviors early because people need to learn at an early age how to avoid the risks for diseases. Preventing a disease or condition costs much less than treating it at a later stage as it has progressed. The health care system has to improve health information, has to make it easily accessible to all people so that they can make the best decision along with their health care specialist for their own situation. To prevent diseases and conditions people need to understand the information that they read, and hear. Healthcare personnel must work with their patients closely to make sure that the information on health and services are made available in ways that get together the needs and interests of all people. Barriers to access health care must be eliminated, and delivery of health care must strive to achieve excellence including  better communication skills of health professionals. In the future health care delivery will adapt to caring for obesity-related health issues by combating them early. Teaching the children portion control and eating healthy low fat, low carbohydrates and low sugar foods is an important lesson that will keep them healthy for the rest of their life. Educatin g the children about nutrition and exercise will help them live healthier and longer. Eating healthy alone is not enough to combat obesity; physical activity must be incorporated in ones life too. For people that cannot combat obesity alone many medical solutions available can help. One of those solutions is a prescription pill that is an appetite suppressor, thus making the person to wanting to eat less. By eating less, one consumes fewer calories. There is also another prescription pill that works by reducing the absorption of fats by the body, and the fats are eliminated in loose oily stools. Both of the above prescription pills have many bad side effects and the patient needs to be closely monitored during the time he or she is doing this therapy. There are also behavior changes that can help with the battle against obesity. Small steps to start the behavioral changes would be to walk more. Parking ones car at the furthest point at the parking lot of a shopping center or college campus. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator and not sitting for hours in front of the television eating chips or ice cream, and drinking soda. Doing housework has two advantages, one is physical activity, and the other is the result of it, which is a clean house. As a last resort, one can have weight reduction surgery if not all of the above steps have helped him or her succeed at losing the excess body weight. Weight reduction surgery is risky and not everyone is a candidate for it. It is not an easy way out; it is a long process that one has to go through to get his or her insurance company to approve the procedure. As with any surgical procedure death can occur. Cashin, K. (2010). Aging Smoking. Retrieved from http://www. livestrong. com/article/185210aging-smoking/ Coronary Artery Disease. (2001-2012). Retrieved from http://www. mayoclinic. org/coronaryartery-disease/treatment. html? mc_id=comlinkpilotplacement=bottom Heart disease. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/heartdisease/DS01120/DSECTION=risk-factors