What is Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD)?
write a paper of 500-1,000 words that describes the history of the identified health issue. Include the following:
Influences such as determinants of health and socioeconomic status.
Past and present initiatives to address the issue.
Outcome indicators that have been developed and utilized to measure progress on the issue.
The current status of the issue based on measured outcomes.
Ischemic Heart Disease
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Ischemic Heart Disease
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a heart disease that is caused by a reduction in blood supply to the heart. The cardiac muscles are solely supplied by the coronary arteries. Blockage of the coronary artery results in the reduced supply of blood to the cardiac muscle. The disease is also referred to as coronary artery disease (CAD). Ischemic heart disease is majorly caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis leads to the hardening of the lining of the artery and also causes accumulation of fatty lipids, inflammatory cells, and calcium on the walls forming a plaque. The disease is characterized by chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath. These symptoms mostly occur during strenuous activities and improve during rest. A heart attack is usually the first sign of IHD. Other complications that may arise from IHD include cardiac failure. Coronary artery bypass and percutaneous coronary intervention are some of the available treatment options. Regular exercise, as well as a healthy lifestyle and diet, are some of the prevention measures. This paper seeks to explore the history of IHD, socioeconomic status and risk factors for the disease, initiatives undertaken to address the disease, as well as the current status of the disease.
History of IHD
Though the IHD might easily pass as a disease of the modern world, it has afflicted the human race for thousands of years. Evidence of atherosclerosis has been found in Egyptian mummies. CAD is thought to have been discovered and studied from as far as the 15th century. Immense efforts were directed towards understanding angina in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was in the 20th century that more knowledge of the disease was gained. Better diagnostic and intervention procedures were invented, and the causes of the disease were well understood, leading to various prevention campaigns (Story, Cherney, & Nall, 2018).
Socioeconomic Status and Risk Factors for IHD
IHD and its complications are among the major causes of death in the Western countries. The risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, family history, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, among others. Men have a higher chance of developing IHD than women. Children of parents who had the disease also have a higher likelihood of developing the disease. Studies have also shown that morbidity and mortality arising from the disease show a certain pattern of occurrence depending on the socioeconomic status of the population defined by the occupational and educational levels. Socioeconomic status is closely related to the quality of dietary intake. Socioeconomically disadvantaged populations have been shown to prefer taking certain foods such as pasta, refined cereals, and white bread as compared to the groups of high socioeconomic status who prefer whole grain foods. This explains the higher incidence of IDH in groups of low socioeconomic status.
Lack of educational knowledge can be associated with poor dietary intake among the uneducated groups. Consequently, the educated groups are more likely to be associated with demanding occupations, which leave them with barely any time to prepare quality meals. They, therefore, t...