Health Awareness

Following a healthy diet and keeping physically active could help to reduce risk of developing heart disease. Making healthy changes to your lifestyle can also increase your chances of survival following a heart attack.

You might be wondering what are healthy diets for heart disease are. First and foremost, healthy eating is about getting the right food balance. This doesn't have to mean cutting out all the foods you love to eat, but it does mean eating foods in proportions to improve your health.

Here are a some tips for a 'heart healthy' regimen:

1. Fruits and Vegetables- It has been estimated that eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day could reduce the risk of death from chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer by up to 20%.

2. Eat foods rich in carbohydrates- Eating whole grains is thought to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and can also help to lower blood cholesterol levels. Opt for wholegrain bread, wholemeal pasta, and wholegrain rice whenever possible.

3.Fish rich in omega- Regular intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. The omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish are believe to help keep our heart beat regularly, reduce triglyceride levels, and prevent blood clots formation. Aim to have two portions of fish per week (a portion is about 3.5 oz).

4. Fats - Our bodies also need some fat for normal functioning, however we must not eat more not what is required of our daily dietary allowance.Reducing the total amount of saturated fat we eat can aid to reduce our blood cholesterol level.

5. Sodium(Salt)- If you have high blood pressure, it is very wise to reduce your salt intake. Recommendations suggest aiming for a salt intake of no more than 6g per day, (2400 mg).

6. Exercise- Exercise is important to keep a heart healthy. It has been usually encourage to keep yourself moving or doing activities to help burn fats. You start with five minutes of activity four times each week, gradually advancing to a level which you can tolerate.

Infectious and parasitic diseases have historically been the main causes of death in Asia and the Pacific. The contribution of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and others to mortality has increased considerably in the last few years. In 2005, chronic diseases accounted for 64 per cent of all deaths in the Asian and Pacific region, and they are now the leading causes of mortality in almost all subregions.

Chronic diseases account for 81 per cent of deaths in high-income economies, compared with 76 per cent in middle-income economies and half of all deaths in low-income economies. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 31 per cent each, are the leading causes of death in high-income economies.

Several Asian countries have some of the highest proportions of the population smoking in the world. In Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Armenia, the prevalence of smoking among male adults exceeds 65 per cent. In others, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, China and the Russian Federation, more than half of the male population smokes. Although the prevalence of smoking among women is lower than among men everywhere, there are still countries where a considerable part of the female population smokes, as in Bangladesh, Nepal and Turkey.

Alcohol consumption is also a risk factor in the Asia and the Pacific region although, at 3.5 liters per adult annually, it is still lower than in Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean. Asia and the Pacific, along with Africa, on the other hand, are the only regions where per capita alcohol consumption increased between 1990 and 2003.

While several countries registered an increase in their alcohol consumption levels, the highest increase took place in the Russian Federation, where consumption increased from 7.1 litres per person in 1990 to 10.3 litres in 2003. In China, alcohol consumption increased from 3.4 to 5.2 litres per person during the same period.

More about lung disease on this section: LUNG DISEASE

ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, is a lung condition that leads to low oxygen levels in the blood. ARDS can be life threatening. This is because your body's organs, such as the kidneys and brain, need oxygen-rich blood to work properly.

ARDS usually occurs in people who are very ill with another disease or who have major injuries. Most people are already in the hospital when they develop ARDS.

The first signs and symptoms of ARDS are feeling like you can't get enough air into your lungs, rapid breathing, and low oxygen levels in the blood.

Other signs and symptoms depend on the cause of the condition. They may occur before ARDS develops. For example, if pneumonia is causing ARDS, you may have a cough and fever before you feel short of breath.

Sometimes, people with ARDS develop signs and symptoms such as low blood pressure, confusion, and extreme tiredness. This may mean that the body's organs, such as the kidneys and heart, aren't getting enough oxygen-rich blood.

Most people who develop ARDS are in the hospital for another serious health problem. Rarely, people who aren't hospitalized have health problems (such as severe pneumonia) that lead to ARDS.

In ARDS there is intense inflammation of the lung tissue, which can be caused by a variety of factors. This inflammation in the lung results in a loss of function. The alveoli lose their ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the blood. This loss of function of the alveoli is due to collapse of the air sacs and leakage of fluid (which is called edema) into the air sacs. This sequence of events can happen rapidly. It can start in one lung and advance to the other. If the inflammation persists over time, the lungs will eventually attempt to heal the damage, which results in the formation of scar tissue. The formation of scar tissue will continue to create a problem with gas (oxygen and carbon dioxide) exchange.

New causes of ARDS are continually being reported with more than 60 different causes having been indentified already. This means that there is still a lot of information that we don't know and there is a continuing need for further research.

Many conditions or factors can directly or indirectly injure the lungs and lead to ARDS. Some common ones are:

* Sepsis. This is a condition in which bacteria infect the bloodstream.
* Pneumonia. This is an infection in the lungs.
* Severe bleeding due to an injury to the body.
* An injury to the chest or head, like a severe blow.
* Breathing in harmful fumes or smoke.
* Inhaling vomited stomach contents from the mouth.

It's not clear why some very sick or seriously injured people develop ARDS and others don't. Researchers are trying to find out why ARDS develops and how to prevent it.

ARDS is treated with oxygen, fluids, and medicines. Treatments are done in a hospital's intensive care unit.

The main goals of treating ARDS are to get oxygen to your lungs and organs (like the brain and kidneys) and treat the underlying condition that's causing ARDS.

If you have ARDS, you can develop other medical problems while in the hospital. The most common are infections, pneumothorax (noo-mo-THOR-aks; collapsed lung), lung scarring, and blood clots.

* Infections. Being in the hospital and lying down for a long time can make you prone to infections, such as pneumonia. Being on a ventilator also can put you at higher risk for infections. Infections can be treated with antibiotics.
* Pneumothorax. This is a condition in which air or gas collects in the space around the lungs, which can cause one or both lungs to collapse. The pressure of the air from a ventilator can cause this condition. Your doctor will put a tube into your chest to remove the air and let your lung(s) expand again.
* Lung scarring. ARDS causes the lungs to become stiff (scarred) and makes it hard for them to expand and fill with air. Being on a ventilator also can cause lung scarring. Often, lung scarring heals before you leave the hospital.
* Blood clots. Lying down for long periods can cause blood clots to form in your body. A blood clot that forms in a vein deep in your body is called a deep vein thrombosis. This type of blood clot can break off, travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, and block blood flow. This is called pulmonary embolism.