The Coolidge examiner., 1935-06-14

to turn gray. the
skin 20 become
fiabby and wrinkled. also cause the
heart 10 grow old. The heart OF
the Individual around sixty years OF
age Is probably his most impor.
tant vital organ The sudden selz-
ure OF pain In the left chest irradi.
nting through the left shoulder down
the arm and on the inner side with
a sense Of construction as n the
chest were held In q wise. and along
with this n sense OF suffocation and
a feeling of impending death-these
are the cardinal symptoms OF angina
pectorlS
Increased muscular effort usually
is the exciting cause Of these at
tacks, although sudden changes in
weather may bring them on. The
attacks are many times brought
about by spasms OF the arteries
which supply the heart muscle with
blood. The primary cause Is ex-
haustion Of the heart muscle.
In previous articles. / have dis
cussed heart disease In relation to
various age groups. beginning with
birth and extending TO the middle
age period. DeformItIes Of the
heart NJ birth are responsible for
the deaths chargeable 10 the heart
during the first year OF life. Then
bacterial infections begin to play
an important part as causes OF heart
disease. During the second decade
OF life. or adolescence, we find
continuation OF these infections. but
during the FIRST twenty years there
are relatively few deaths from
heart disease as compared TO the
total span of life or every 100 per
sons who die OF heart disease In mi.
nols. only one Is In the FIRST dec
ade of llfe. and only two are In the
second decade. Between the ages
of twenty and thirty-fTe. the death
rate Is four. and during the next
ten years. that is, thlrty-fve 10
forty-uye years. we find approx
maiely six deaths As we said be-
fore, SO per cent OF the deaths from
cardiac causes are In the age
group past forty five. The same
figures would generally hold true
for the other states.
This does not mean that Infection
Of the heart Is SO much more preva-
lent among persons over forty.hve
years But II does mean that the
wear and tear on the heart. due 10
previous Infections. has exceeded
the limit compatible with the or.
dlaary duties ~ llfe.
A heart attack should not lead
one 20 be- pesslmlstlc. II should be
regarded rather az red signal and
request from a tired wornout
heart muscle for a much needed
rest. one should not become I'M
duly excited. but should consult
physician TO determine Just what
the heart can endure. so that II
win not be oyertaxed. 10 the point
where Il stops beating. Under In
tellIgent and proper supervision.
this right way OF living may mean
only slight change In the daily rou.
tine. such as avoiding strenuous ex-
ercise or reducing the weight, or
abstaining from tobacco. alcohol or
such lrrltants.
II may be that complete rest in
bed is the only solution, but this
Is seldom the case. An active. hard
working man or woman OF fifty-five
or sixty may actually be damaged
by forced idleness In bed. The
worry and sleeplessness will Offset
the value OF such rest.
Usually the older individual with
heart disease has I'm addition hard
enlng OF the arteries and often a
deficiency in kidney function. Now
that medical knowledge and an
easier way Of living have increased
our life expectancy TO span Of six
~ years, the first forty years are
proving the healthy years After
that we are likely TO show wear and
tear, and the degenerative diseases,
such as heart disease, kidney dis
ease and cancer become real haz-
ards. The blood vessels OF the
brain may become so diseased and
weakened that they break and ap-
oplexy follows.
II we have damaged any of our
important organs in our younger
years, we are pretty apt to reap the
results in our older years wIW this
organ has reached the limits of its
power of adapting itself to the needs
Of the body.
The heart normally beats 72 times
a minute, with a rest period In be-
tween each beat If 1t beats more
often, then the rest period Is cor
respondingly curtailed, and to keep
going the heart has TO call on its
reserved strength. We are born
with just so much reserve force.
The person who uses his reserve
before. forty-fve, may. expect to
watch his step afterward.
g. Western Newspaper Union