Causes And Risk Factors Of Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary refers to the major arteries and blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen and other nutrients to the heart. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a complicated condition of these major arteries and blood vessels in which the arteries of the heart become tough and rigid due to the accumulation of a waxy cholesterol-containing substance called “plague”. This condition may lead to severe fatal results because the plague deposit will cause the arteries and blood vessels to narrow causing decreased blood flow to the heart and resulting in severe chest pain, shortness of breath, and eventually a heart attack. Cholesterol is one of the biggest cause of Coronary Heart Disease. The process of plague deposit is called atherosclerosis and plague or fatty deposits are called atheroma. In this article we will discuss the causes and risk factors of Coronary Heart Disease.  

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Atheroma (Waxy Cholesterol Plague), Biggest Cause and Risk Factor Of Coronary Heart Disease 

Why Does Coronary Heart Disease Happens:

Because Coronary Heart Disease is caused by the plague deposit in the major blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen and other nutrients to the heart, it is mostly caused by the lifestyle of a particular person such as:

• ·         Smoking
• ·         Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• ·         Diabetes
• ·         High Cholesterol
• ·         Sedentary lifestyle

Causes & Risk Factors of Coronary Heart Disease:

Coronary heart disease is caused by the deposit of atheroma (fatty cholesterol plague) in the major blood vessels that supply nutrients to the heart, however, it is supposed to begin with damage or injury to the internal layer of a coronary artery, sometime in childhood. The damage to the inner layer have variety of controllable and uncontrollable reasons including:

• High blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Diabetes
• Overweight and Obesity
• Smoking
• Lack of Physical Activity
• Unhealthy Diet
• Stress

Uncontrollable causes of Coronary Heart Disease Include:

• Age
• Gender
• Family History of Coronary Heart Disease

The damage to the inner wall of coronary artery is a complicated situation. Once the internal wall of coronary artery is damaged, the cholesterol and other cellular based atheroma (fatty plague) starts accumulating the artery (atherosclerosis), thus causing narrowing of artery and if somehow, the plague ruptures, then platelets (blood clotting cells) try to repair and clump the site of injury. This clot of blood in the artery may block the artery completely and thus causing heart attack.   

Risk Factors of Coronary Heart Disease:

There are many risk factors and causes of coronary heart disease. Some are controllable and some are uncontrollable. The major causes and risk factors of coronary heart disease are High Blood Cholesterol Level, Smoking, Obesity, Diabetes. Explanation of the risk factors of Coronary Heart Disease are as follows:

High Blood Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels:

Cholesterol and its derivatives are important constituents of cell membranes but their high concentration in blood are thought to promote atherosclerosis (deposit of cholesterol based fatty plague in coronary arteries) and heart attack.

Lipoproteins are of a group of soluble proteins that combine with and transport fat or other lipids in the blood plasma. Cholesterol is carried in bloodstream by the lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are of two types:

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL): 

Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol is referred as Bad Cholesterol on the grounds that it receives cholesterol from liver and transport it to cells, tissues and blood vessels including your heart supply routes. A high level of Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol raises the danger of Coronary Heart Disease.

High-Density lipoproteins (HDL): 

High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol is referred as Good Cholesterol as it helps in removing and breakdown of Cholesterol by bringing back cholesterol from different cells, tissues and blood vessels back to liver where it is broken down. A low level of High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol raises the danger of Coronary Heart Disease.

Good and healthy levels of both Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol will inhibit atheroma (plaque) from building up in your blood vessels especially coronary arteries. 

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure):  

High blood pressure or circulatory strain is the power of blood pushing against the arteries as your heart pumps blood. Uncontrollable high blood pressure may result in rigidity, thinking and narrowing of coronary arteries thus causing an increased risk of Coronary Heart Disease. All levels above 120/80 mmHg raise your danger of Coronary Heart Disease.

Diabetes (High Blood Sugar Level):

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism which causes excessive thirst and the production of large amounts of urine. It is a condition in which the body's blood glucose level raises too high. As High Blood Sugar Level doesn’t directly affect the risk of Coronary Heart Disease (if the person is not diabetic), however, high blood sugar level may lead to Diabetes which double the risk for developing Coronary Heart Disease. Diabetes are of two types:

Type 1 Diabetes: 

This is also called as Juvenile Diabetes or Insulin Dependent Diabetes. In Type 1 Diabetes, the body's blood glucose level is too much high because body’s pancreas doesn't make enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that moves glucose molecules into cells, where it's utilized for energy.

Type 2 Diabetes: 

It is also called as Diabetes Mellitus. In Type 2 Diabetes, the body have a high glucose level because of insulin resistance and lack of insulin.

A high blood glucose level can prompt plaque deposit (atherosclerosis) in coronary arteries which results in thickness, narrowing and rigidity of coronary arteries thus causing coronary heart disease.

Obesity (Overweight):

The state of being fat and overweight is called as obesity. Being obese worsen the other risk factors for developing coronary heart disease because overweight or obesity causes increased high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Smoking (Exposure to Tobacco):

Smoking is the habit of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco or a drug. Smoking is the biggest cause or Coronary Heart Disease because chemicals in the cigarettes damages the internal layers of coronary arteries which triggers the development of plaque (atheroma) in arteries. Smoking additionally upsurge the danger of blood clumps in blood vessels especially coronary arteries. Blood clot may result in heart attach if the artery is blocked by a blood clump.

Other risk factors of coronary heart disease like lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet and stress link to above major risk factors of coronary heart disease. Lack of physical activity, stress and unhealthy diet result in increased cholesterol level and high blood pressure which triggers the development of atheroma (fatty cholesterol based plague) in coronary arteries which results in narrowing, thinking and hardness of blood vessels causing Coronary Heart Disease.    

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