Transport in animals

1. Your grandfather, who has been a non-smoker and relatively healthy throughout his
life, has recently noticed that he is becoming increasingly short of breath as he does
simple things, such as climbing the steps in his house. He has also noticed that his
heart rate increases when he does mild exercise, such as walking to the mailbox or
going upstairs. What could be causing this? Is it just due to him getting older? Is there
reason to be concerned? What can be done to help him?

Hint : a) Research on the types of ailments and produce your answer using keywords
from the chapter ‘ Transport in animals’.
b) Your answer should be a write up of one page outlining symptoms, causes,
possible ailment name, Prognosis, treatment options and conclusion.

Symptoms :

 increasingly short of breath as he does simple things, such as

climbing the steps in his house.

 heart rate increases when he does mild exercise, such as walking

to the mailbox or going upstairs.

Lifestyle:

 non-smoker

 Age: old

 relatively healthy throughout his life

Disease:

 Pulmonary hypertension: It‘s because the right side of the heart is

having trouble pushing blood flow through the lungs — and it‘s not getting
to the left side of the heart and body. It puts strain on the right side of the
heart, which is not used to pushing against the high pressure. Patients with
PH have blocked or narrowed arteries in their lungs. As a result, the system
designed to carry fresh, oxygenated blood into the left side of the heart and
then to the rest of the body is affected. Other indicators of PH include
fatigue, lightheadedness, chest pain, racing heartbeat and swelling in the
ankles or legs.

 One type of PH, known as pulmonary arterial hypertension,

causes blood vessels of the lungs to become thick and narrow, resulting in
an elevation in pressure. Comment [WU1]: This was extra I found so I just
added for extra info

 Heart Attack and Coronary Artery Disease: If a coronary

artery becomes partially or completely blocked by fatty deposits called
‗plaques‘ (mainly formed from cholesterol), the arteries are not as elastic as
they should be and therefore cannot stretch to accommodate the blood which
is being forced through them – leading to coronary heart disease. Partial
blockage of the coronary arteries creates a restricted blood flow to the cardiac
muscle cells and results in severe chest pains called angina. Complete
blockage means cells in that area of the heart will not be able to respire and
can no longer contract, leading to a heart attack

Possible Causes:

 Stress: When under stress, hormones produced can increase blood

pressure, increasing the chance of a blockage in the coronary arteries.
 Genetic Predisposition:
 Studies show that people with a history of coronary heart disease in
their family are more likely to develop it themselves, suggesting it
partly has a genetic basis.
  About 10 percent of such cases are genetic, and people with a family
history have a greater risk of developing it. (PH) Comment [WU2]: But seeing these causes I had
to eliminate it because it didn’t suite the situation

 Age:
 The risk of developing coronary heart disease increases as you get
older.
 Can occur at any age, including in children. It most typically
develops in people in their 30s and 40. (PH) Comment [WU3]: But seeing these causes I had
to eliminate it because it didn’t suite the situation
 Gender:
 Males are more likely to develop coronary heart disease than females.
 PH affects more women than men Comment [WU4]: But seeing these causes I had
to eliminate it because it didn’t suite the situation

Prognosis and Diagnosis:

How long does it take to recover from a heart attack?
Recovering from a heart attack ultimately depends on the severity of the condition
as well as how quickly it‘s treated.

Immediately after the event, you can expect to stay in the hospital for 3 to 5 days,
or until your condition is stable.

Overall, it takes several weeks — and possibly up to several months — to recover

from a heart attack. Your individual recovery is dependent on:

 your overall condition

 risk factors
 adherence to your treatment plan
Widowmaker recovery

A ―widowmaker,‖ as the name suggests, refers to a severe type of heart attack. It

occurs when 100 percent of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery is blocked.

This particular type of heart attack can be fatal because of the LAD artery‘s
significant role in providing blood to your heart.

The symptoms of a widowmaker are similar to those of a heart attack from another
clogged artery. These include:

 chest pain
 shortness of breath
 lightheadedness
 sweating
 nausea
 fatigue

Despite its name, a widowmaker heart attack can affect women, too.

With this type of heart attack, you may be in the hospital for a few extra days,
especially if you need to have surgery to open up the LAD artery

Diet Plan:

One helpful eating plan is called the dietary approaches to stop hypertension, or
DASH.
The overall goal of this diet is to limit sodium, red meat, and saturated fats while
focusing on potassium-rich sources of fruits and vegetables, along with lean
meats, fish, and plant oils.

The Mediterranean diet is similar to DASH in that they both emphasize plant-
based foods.

Research suggests that a plant-based diet may decrease inflammation and

oxidative stress, which contributes to heart failure. Such diets may also decrease
heart disease severity.

Overall, aim to:

 Avoid trans fats and saturated fats whenever possible. These fats directly
contribute to plaque formation in the arteries. When your arteries become
clogged, blood can no longer flow to the heart, resulting in a heart attack.
Instead, eat fats that come from plant sources, such as olive oil or nuts.
 Eat fewer calories. Eating too many calories and having overweight can also
strain your heart. Managing your weight and eating a balance of plant
foods, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products can help.
 Limit sodium. Reducing your daily sodium intake to under 2,300
mgTrusted Source per day can decrease blood pressure and the overall strain
on your heart. This is also a key element of the DASH diet.
 Focus on eating produce. Whole, fresh fruits and vegetables should be staples
in your diet. When fresh produce isn‘t available, consider substituting with
no-sugar-added frozen or salt-free canned versions.

What are the side effects after a heart attack?

After a heart attack, it‘s normal to feel very fatigued. You may feel weak and
mentally exhausted.
You may also have a decreased appetite. Eating smaller meals can help place less
strain on your heart.

It‘s common to have mental health side effects after a heart attack. These can last
between 2 and 6 months. Some mental health-related symptoms include:

 anger
 irritability
 fear
 insomnia and daytime fatigue
 sadness
 feelings of guilt and hopelessness
 loss of interest in hobbies

Heart attacks in older adults

Your risk for a heart attack and cardiovascular disease increases after age 65.

This is due to age-related changes that can occur in the heart, including high blood
pressure (hypertension) and hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis).

Having a heart attack as an older adult also comes with special considerations.

Diet and exercise training are crucial for future heart attack prevention, but it may
take longer to recover. Older adults may also be at a higher risk for cognitive
issues and reduced functional movements.

To reduce the long-term effects of a heart attack, it‘s recommended that older
adults be especially vigilant about increasing physical activity when they‘re able.
This will help strengthen the heart muscle and protect it from future damage.

Another consideration is trying to reduce your blood pressure, as needed.

Hypertension is the most common heart-related condition in adults over age 75.

Heart attack with stents

A stent is used to reduce the chances of a heart attack. This wire-mesh tube is
inserted into a blocked artery to help increase blood flow to your heart. The stent is
left in place permanently to improve your condition.

When done with a coronary angioplasty, a stent placement opens your arteries and
increases blood flow to the heart muscle. Stents reduce your overall risk of
experiencing narrowing of that same artery.

However, it‘s still possible to have a heart attack in the future from
a different clogged artery. That‘s why adopting heart-healthy lifestyle habits is so
impotant.

Making these changes can play an important role in helping prevent a future
attack.

As a rule of thumb, you should see your doctor right away if you experience chest
pain — even after a stent placement. In the rare event that a stent closes, you‘ll
need surgery to open the artery up again.

It‘s also possible to experience a blood clot after getting a stent, which could increase
your risk of a heart attack.

Your doctor will likely recommend taking aspirin, as well as prescription anti-
clotting drugs, such as ticagrelor (Brilinta) or clopidogrel (Plavix) to prevent blood
clots.
Lifestyle changes

A heart-healthy lifestyle can complement a medical treatment plan for heart

disease. Consider your current lifestyle habits and look for ways you might
improve them.

Exercise

As long as your doctor gives the go-ahead, you may begin an exercise program
after you recover from a heart attack.

Regular exercise is certainly important for weight maintenance, but it also works
your muscles — the most important muscle being your heart.

Any form of exercise that gets your blood pumping is beneficial. When it comes to
heart health, however, aerobic exercise is best. Examples include:

 swimming
 bicycling
 jogging or running
 walking at a moderate to brisk pace

These forms of exercise help increase the amount of oxygen circulating in your
body and also strengthen the heart‘s ability to pump it through the bloodstream to
the rest of your body.

As an added bonus, regular aerobic exercise also helps reduce:

 high blood pressure

 stress
  cholesterol

If you notice any unusual symptoms while exercising, such as prolonged

shortness of breath, weak limbs, or chest pain, stop right away and call 911 or seek
emergency medical attention.

Manage other risk factors

Heart disease can run in families, but the majority of heart attacks may be
attributed to lifestyle choices.

Aside from diet, exercise, and smoking habits, it‘s important to manage other risk
factors that might contribute to future heart attacks.

Talk to your doctor about:

 hypertension
 high cholesterol
 diabetes
 thyroid disease
 unusual amounts of stress
 mental health concerns, such as anxiety and depression
 alcohol consumption

Rehabilitation

You‘ll need to enter a cardiac rehabilitation program as well. Doctors and other
medical professionals run these programs. They‘re designed to monitor your
condition and recovery process after a heart attack.
Along with education about lifestyle changes, your cardiac risk factors will be
monitored to ensure a healthy recovery. Your doctor will likely talk to you about
ways you can monitor your own cardiac risk factors as well.

Possible goal numbers for your risk factors include:

 blood pressure lower than 130/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury)

 waist circumference less than 35 inches for women and less than 40 inches
for men
 body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9
 blood cholesterol under 180 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)
 blood glucose under 100 mg/dL (during times of normal fasting)

You‘ll get regular readings of these metrics during cardiac rehabilitation. However,
it helps to remain aware of these numbers well beyond rehab.

Life expectancy after heart attack

The overall risk of having a heart attack increases with age, especially in men over
age 45 and women over age 55Trusted Source.

Early detection and treatment can increase your overall life expectancy after a
heart attack. Still, it‘s estimated that 20 percent of adults ages 45 and over will
experience a second heart attack within 5 years.

There are some estimates that up to 42 percent of women die within a year after a
heart attack, while the same scenario occurs in 24 percent of men.
This percentage difference might be due to women having different symptoms
than men during a heart attack and therefore not recognizing a heart attack in
the early stages.

It‘s important to know that many people go on to lead long lives following a heart
attack.

There‘s no general statistic outlining life expectancy after a heart attack. It‘s
important to work on your individual risk factors to prevent future episodes.

What not to do after a heart attack

Give your heart a chance to heal after a heart attack. This means you may need to
modify your normal routine and reconsider certain activities for several weeks.

Gradually ease back into your everyday routine so you don‘t risk a relapse. You
may have to modify your daily activities if they‘re stressful.

It may take up to 3 months before your doctor gives you the OK to go back to work.

Depending on the stress level of your job, you may need to significantly cut back
on your workload or ease back into it on a part-time basis.

You may not be able to drive a vehicle for at least a week after your heart attack.
This restriction may be longer if you have complications.

Each state has different laws, but the general rule is that your condition must be
stable for at least 3 weeksTrusted Source before you‘re allowed to drive again.

Your doctor will likely advise you to hold off on sex and other physical activities
for at least 2 to 3 weeks after your heart attack.
Know when to seek medical attention

You‘re at an increased risk of having another heart attack after you recover from
your first one.

It‘s vital that you stay in tune with your body and report any symptoms to your
doctor immediately, even if they only seem slight.

Call 911 or seek emergency medical attention if you experience:

 sudden and extreme fatigue

 chest pain, and pain that travels to one or both arms
 rapid heartbeat
 sweatiness (without exercising)
 dizziness or faintness
 leg swelling
 shortness of breath

Conclusion:

Improving your heart health after a heart attack depends on how well you stick to
your doctor‘s treatment plan. It also depends on your ability to identify potential
problems.

You should also be aware of the difference in treatment outcomes between men and
women after a heart attack.

Researchers found that 42 percent of women die within 1 year of having a heart
attack, compared to 24 percent of men.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates
that 805,000Trusted Source people have heart attacks every year in the United
States and that 200,000Trusted Source of these are people who‘ve had a heart
attack previously.

Knowing your risk factors and making lifestyle changes can help you become a
survivor and enjoy your life.