Heart disease is one of the most common chronic illnesses that affect adults. It is generally characterized by blockage of the vascular tissues of the heart, such as the arteries and veins. The blockage is often caused by fatty deposits that have accumulated in these vascular tissues, making it harder for the heart to deliver blood to the entire body. Heart disease often develops over a period of time and if not properly addressed, may result in a heart attack. In other cases of heart disease, the heart has lost is capacity to maximally pump blood, thus causing heart failure.
There are currently various recommendations on how to prevent the development of heart disease and the accumulation of fatty deposits in the vascular tissues of the heart. These preventive measures include eating healthy meals consisting of fruits of vegetables and participating in regular exercises that would enhance the heart and vascular systems of the body.
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In terms of surviving a heart attack, it is essential that the individual be brought to the emergency room for immediate medical attention. This ensures that the patient is given medications that would widen any vascular tissues that have been blocked by fatty deposits, thus preventing any further deleterious effects on the patient. In addition, the heart attack patient is also administered oxygen through the use of a mask, increasing the supply of this essential gas through the vascular tissues, reaching the rest of the body. Immediate medical attention will also prevent the progression of the patient’s heart disease and assist in treating any blockage in the vascular tissues.
According to a recent publication, marriage can increase the survival of a heart attack patient. The report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that patients who were married were more likely to be brought to the hospital for treatment, thus decreasing complications in heart disease by providing drugs that would address issues concerning the vascular tissues, and ultimately decreasing mortality. The study involved reviewing patient records of approximately 4,403 patients who suffered a heart attack. The study population consisted of both men and women, of which the marital status was determined, together with the time interval between the onset of chest pain and the presentation of the heart attack patient at the emergency room for treatment.
The results of the study showed that 75.3% of the married heart attack patients were brought in for immediate treatment within six hours of chest pain. On the other hand, only 67.9% of single heart attack patients were presented at the emergency room within six hours of the symptoms of the heart disease. For divorced patients suffering from heart disease, only 68.5% of this group was immediately brought in for treatment. Approximately 70.8% of widowed patients reached the hospital for rapid diagnosis and treatment of their heart attack.
These results suggest that being married posed as an additional factor that increases the survival of an individual during a heart attack. More married patients are treated immediately, thus preventing the rapid deterioration of the condition of the patient, and quick supplementation of oxygen to the vascular tissues. It is also important to understand that every heart disease is manageable, as long as the patient is given timely examination, especially upon the occurrence of chest pain, and proper treatment to would enhance the widening of vascular tissues for blood circulation.
Interestingly, this edge of being married and higher survival rates in heart disease was only observed among male patients. The medical report described that among female heart attack patients, being married did not increase the likelihood of reaching the emergency room at the soonest possible time. It is possible that women choose to delay seeking medical attention when they experience chest pain, thus increasing the chance for the progression of their heart disease and likelihood for mortality. Public health programs should therefore take note of this unique report on the impact of civil status on the timely delivery of treatment for heart disease.
