Infarction

Myocardial infarction is chest pain due to permanent damage to the myocardium or the heart muscle. According to British statistics there is sudden death in 25% of cases due to dysrhythmias or abnormal heart beat. The mortality in the first 4 weeks is about 30-40%, mainly in the first 2 hours. If you are amongst the lucky ones to survive the initial attack, 90% you will live for one year, 70% will survive for 5 years, and 40% live up to 10 years.⁴⁵

Let's look at the risk factors for by treating them we could prevent and modify heart disease. These include:

A - conventional risk factors:

• High intake of saturated fat
• High cholesterol
• Smoking
• Hypertension
• Family history
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Alcohol
• Sedentary life style

B - Modern risk factors:

• Oxidised LDL
• Eicasinoids
• Homocysteine
• Inflammation
• Lipoprotein -a
• Fibrinogen
• Syndrome-X
• Unresolved stress

Now let me expand on some of these old and new risk factors.

Saturated fat

Saturated fat is the worst type of fat as it increases the free radical production and also damages the lining of the arteries. It has been reported to be associated with some types of cancer such as prostate. It also increases LDL-cholesterol, which is a major cause of atherosclerosis.

Saturated fat is commonly found in red meat such as sausages, deep fried foods, biscuits, steaks and chops, coconut and its oil, dairy products including milk, cream and butter. Try to avoid or reduce your saturated fat intake to a bare minimum.

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