In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported heart disease as the number one cause of death in the United States, claiming over 600,000 lives and contributing to 25 percent of total deaths that year. High blood cholesterol is a factor in the mechanisms that result in heart disease. A person with heart disease must avoid certain substances such as caffeine or alcohol due to the potential worsening of symptoms.
Caffeine and Heart Disease
Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee. A 1995 study published by the "American Journal of Medicine" demonstrated that caffeine increases the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates to release energy. Increased metabolism is associated with increased oxygen consumption; as oxygen demand increases, the heart rate must be increased to accommodate such demands. In a person with heart disease, increases in heart rate may be associated with more symptoms. Caffeine by itself does not cause heart disease, but the effects of a preexisting risk factor such as hypertension may be amplified with the use of caffeine. Untreated hypertension, with time, results in an irreversible increase of heart muscle size, which compromises the heart's ability to fill adequately with blood.
Heart Disease and Cholesterol
Chronically elevated cholesterol levels can result in accelerated atherosclerosis -- a condition involving the buildup of cholesterol in blood vessel walls, which narrows the vessels. Atherosclerosis increases resistance to blood flow and is one mechanism that explains the development of hypertension in obese people and those with poor dietary habits. Most causes of hypertension are unknown, but reducing cholesterol intake certainly is beneficial in reducing the risks of developing heart disease. According to John's Hopkins University, 50 percent of people with hypertension also have high blood cholesterol, emphasizing the issue of poor dieting in the development of heart disease in the United States.
Symptoms of Heart Disease
Shortness of breath is a common symptom of heart disease; in early stage of heart disease, shortness of breath only occurs with physical exertion or severe emotional stress but in later stages, shortness of breath may occur even at rest. In heart disease, the heart is incapable of functioning at best despite attempts to compensate for increased stress or oxygen demands; as a result, heart rate is often fast and sometimes erratic, such as in heart palpitations -- a sensation of the heart beating outside the chest. Later stages of heart disease are often associated with decreased level of activity and limitation in function.
Management of Heart Disease
Heart disease is often treated symptomatically, but in some cases treatment involves avoidance of offending agents; for example, the avoidance of alcohol in people with irregular heartbeats. Preventative measures are the best approach to heart disease; proper dieting and exercise improve cholesterol levels in the blood. Anti-cholesterol medications are used when blood cholesterol is too high or when nonmedical measures prove ineffective.
References
- "American Journal of Physiology"; Effects of Caffeine on Energy Metabolism, Heart Rate, and Methylxanthine Metabolism in Lean and Obese Women; D. Bracco, et al.; October 1995
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Death, Final Data for 2007
- Partnership For Solutions: High Cholesterol, Common Comorbidities
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine"; Kasper M.D., Braunwald M.D. and Fauci M.D.; 2005
