What is Coronary Heart Disease?
Coronary heart disease or CHD is caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries feeding the heart. As oxygen and nutrients are carried by the blood through the arteries, fat and cholesterol deposits begin to form on the walls clogging the arteries. When the arteries are narrowed and something like a blood clot forms blocking the artery completely, heart attack will occur which is often deadly. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women Americans.
Are there other names for CHD?
Other names used for coronary heart disease are:
- Coronary Artery Disease or CAD
- Heart Disease
- Ischemic Heart Disease
What causes CHD?
Atherosclerosis is the process where the fat and cholesterol are collected and hardened on the walls of the arteries in many parts of the body. This plaque on the walls is made of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and additional substances from the blood. This plaque build up causes a reduction in the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart.
Who is at risk?
People that are older, have a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, are overweight, lack physical activity, and smoke cigarettes have the greatest risk for CHD. Men have a greater risk at an earlier age than do women. The only risk factors that you can reduce are those related to lifestyle decisions. There are also medications that can help reduce the workload on the heart and cure some symptoms of CHD.
How does cholesterol contribute to heart disease?
It's not like poor hygiene causes heart disease, but cholesterol does play a serious role. Cholesterol is something that your body needs to function properly, but if you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream it will lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis will eventually cause angina, which is chest pain when not enough oxygen in the blood reaches the heart, or heart attack. Prevention can occur when one gets serious about their lifestyle choices.
For more information on: Heart disease or a meal plan for heart disease
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