What is "Coronary artery disease (CAD)"?
What is "Coronary artery disease (CAD)"? It is a chronic disease in which blood flow is obstructed through the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood. This obstruction is a result of atherosclerosis, i.e. hardening of the arteries. It is the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the United States today.
It all starts with the inner lining of the artery (e.g., the endothelium) being damaged. Atherosclerosis is a slow process taking decades before the patient is in danger of cardiovascular problems. The damaged lining causes white blood cells to gather at the site of the injury. This in turn provokes an inflammatory immune response that causes further damage to the artery wall.
Years after this, large toxic LDL cholesterol molecules can penetrate into the artery wall. The white blood cells and cholesterol combine to form a lipid foam. In the early stages of atherosclerosis, these fatty streaks are present on the arterial wall as plaque deposits.
This reduces the artery's ability to contract and expand and narrows the artery. This in turn leads to a reduction of the amount of blood that can flow through it. Sometimes the plaque deposit may rupture, pieces of the plaque can travel through the arteries until they eventually cause a blockage. The final result is often a heart attack.
Many CAD patients have symptoms such as chest pain (angina) and fatigue, which occur when the heart isn't receiving adequate oxygen. Unfortunately, many patients have no symptoms until a heart attack occurs.
Some of the strategies that could help reduce risk factors for CAD are as follows:
1) Learning your family medical history
2) Eating a heart-healthy diet
3) Improving your cholesterol ratio
4) Controlling homocysteine levels
5) Exercising regularly
6) Controlling diabetes
7) Controlling high blood pressure
8) Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
9) Managing stress
10) Quitting smoking (or not starting to smoke)
11) Controlling chronic depression
It all starts with the inner lining of the artery (e.g., the endothelium) being damaged. Atherosclerosis is a slow process taking decades before the patient is in danger of cardiovascular problems. The damaged lining causes white blood cells to gather at the site of the injury. This in turn provokes an inflammatory immune response that causes further damage to the artery wall.
Years after this, large toxic LDL cholesterol molecules can penetrate into the artery wall. The white blood cells and cholesterol combine to form a lipid foam. In the early stages of atherosclerosis, these fatty streaks are present on the arterial wall as plaque deposits.
This reduces the artery's ability to contract and expand and narrows the artery. This in turn leads to a reduction of the amount of blood that can flow through it. Sometimes the plaque deposit may rupture, pieces of the plaque can travel through the arteries until they eventually cause a blockage. The final result is often a heart attack.
Many CAD patients have symptoms such as chest pain (angina) and fatigue, which occur when the heart isn't receiving adequate oxygen. Unfortunately, many patients have no symptoms until a heart attack occurs.
Some of the strategies that could help reduce risk factors for CAD are as follows:
1) Learning your family medical history
2) Eating a heart-healthy diet
3) Improving your cholesterol ratio
4) Controlling homocysteine levels
5) Exercising regularly
6) Controlling diabetes
7) Controlling high blood pressure
8) Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
9) Managing stress
10) Quitting smoking (or not starting to smoke)
11) Controlling chronic depression
posted by bloggerking at 6:02 AM
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