Story: Dr Tameka Stephenson (DM pending, M.B.B.S, M.Sc., B.Sc. Hons.) Medical Doctor and Nutritionist
A common Jamaican expression – “Woi Mi Hart” says that something unexpected happened or is about to. The heart is seen as a powerful yet fragile organ that starts working from about 5-6 weeks while we are inside of the womb. The heart is a made up of 4 muscular chambers, 2 atria and 2 ventricles, the normal function of the heart does not allow mixing of blood from one side to the next. It functions to collect deoxygenated blood via the right side of the heart which is then taken to the lungs to become oxygenated. The Left side of the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body so that the cells can carry out their function.
The functions of the heart may be impaired by various means. It may be by conditions that are acquired and those that are genetic. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on some of the genetic causes. Genetic causes of Heart Disease may be due to certain genetic mutation at the cellular level. Three Common ones are- Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart is not effective in pumping blood around the body as it becomes enlarged. Persons with this condition my have episodes of shortness of breath, swelling of the legs and ankles, fatigue and irregular heart rhythm. Some individuals may not show any symptoms at all. Dilated Cardiomyopathy may affect both males and females. Some members of the family may be affected more than others as a result some persons may also not show signs and symptoms. According to the American Heart Association there are many possible causes despite genetic predisposition which include presence of coronary artery disease, infection and excessive alcohol intake.
Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a disease that can affect all the heart muscles and can also cause sudden death in extreme cases. This is a case where the left ventricle which is responsible for pumping blood around the body becomes hypertrophic (thick) and may also be dilated. The function of the left ventricle may also be impaired due to obstruction.
The left ventricle later becomes dysfunctional and as a result is not able to perform effectively. Symptoms may include shortness of breath and tachycardia, there may also be a family history sudden cardiac death. This may cause sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults. This one would want to avoid by early intervention
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Hypercholesterolemia is an inherited defect of the body in recycling low density lipoprotein (LDL- or bad cholesterol). There are high levels of LDL in the blood. Essentially, these individuals were born with high levels of LDL and gets higher with age over time. The consequences of this is an increase risk of atherosclerotic plaques which may lead to an even higher risk of coronary heart disease. According to American Heart Association (AHA) men with Familial Hyper Cholesterolemia gets heart disease up to 10-20 years earlier. Half of these males may have an angina or heart attack before 50 years of age. Thirty percent (30%) of the females, if left untreated, will have a heart attack before 60 years of age. Mutations of genes may result in certain genetic heart disease.
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean LifestyleMagazine Vol 11 #1 in a store near you.
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Story: Dr Tameka Stephenson (DM pending, M.B.B.S, M.Sc., B.Sc. Hons.) Medical Doctor and Nutritionist
A common Jamaican expression – “Woi Mi Hart” says that something unexpected happened or is about to. The heart is seen as a powerful yet fragile organ that starts working from about 5-6 weeks while we are inside of the womb. The heart is a made up of 4 muscular chambers, 2 atria and 2 ventricles, the normal function of the heart does not allow mixing of blood from one side to the next. It functions to collect deoxygenated blood via the right side of the heart which is then taken to the lungs to become oxygenated. The Left side of the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body so that the cells can carry out their function.
The functions of the heart may be impaired by various means. It may be by conditions that are acquired and those that are genetic. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on some of the genetic causes. Genetic causes of Heart Disease may be due to certain genetic mutation at the cellular level. Three Common ones are- Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart is not effective in pumping blood around the body as it becomes enlarged. Persons with this condition my have episodes of shortness of breath, swelling of the legs and ankles, fatigue and irregular heart rhythm. Some individuals may not show any symptoms at all. Dilated Cardiomyopathy may affect both males and females. Some members of the family may be affected more than others as a result some persons may also not show signs and symptoms. According to the American Heart Association there are many possible causes despite genetic predisposition which include presence of coronary artery disease, infection and excessive alcohol intake.
Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a disease that can affect all the heart muscles and can also cause sudden death in extreme cases. This is a case where the left ventricle which is responsible for pumping blood around the body becomes hypertrophic (thick) and may also be dilated. The function of the left ventricle may also be impaired due to obstruction.
The left ventricle later becomes dysfunctional and as a result is not able to perform effectively. Symptoms may include shortness of breath and tachycardia, there may also be a family history sudden cardiac death. This may cause sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults. This one would want to avoid by early intervention
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Hypercholesterolemia is an inherited defect of the body in recycling low density lipoprotein (LDL- or bad cholesterol). There are high levels of LDL in the blood. Essentially, these individuals were born with high levels of LDL and gets higher with age over time. The consequences of this is an increase risk of atherosclerotic plaques which may lead to an even higher risk of coronary heart disease. According to American Heart Association (AHA) men with Familial Hyper Cholesterolemia gets heart disease up to 10-20 years earlier. Half of these males may have an angina or heart attack before 50 years of age. Thirty percent (30%) of the females, if left untreated, will have a heart attack before 60 years of age. Mutations of genes may result in certain genetic heart disease.
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 11 #1 in a store near you.
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