Thursday, March 12, 2009

Coronary Artery Disease -What You Need to Know

By Katie A. Price

Heart disease is a general term for any ailments of the heart; however, it is also frequently associated with coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease mainly affects the coronary artery of the heart. The coronary artery is a major vessel in the heart that receives oxygenated blood and distributes it to the heart muscles. Plaque is formed in the arterial walls causing narrowing of the vessels and limiting blood flow. This results in increased blood pressure as well.

You might probably be wondering what a fat deposit in your artery can do. Actually, these fat deposits are very harmful to you. When your vessels are narrowed because of these fat deposits, the blood that is oxygenated by the lungs will not be able to reach your heart muscles, or will reach it but the amount is inadequate. This causes a stabbing pain in your chest that radiates to your arms and shoulders. This pain is what we call angina.

Angina is the pain that patients with heart disease dread. Not enough oxygen reaches the heart muscles. The heart muscles, just like any other muscle, need oxygen to function properly. Oxygen is transported through the bloodstream. Because of the fat deposits, less supply of blood reaches the heart. Angina now occurs. It is described as a stabbing chest pain that can also be felt at the back and extremities.

A heart attack occurs after angina. The heart ceases to function because its muscles did not receive much oxygen. Certain muscles in the heart have died because of the inadequate supply of oxygen and therefore the remaining muscles have to compensate for the loss. Compensation gives extra workload and fatigue, causing it to stop.

What causes coronary artery disease? That is probably the question that is in your mind right now. Actually, a lot of risk factors can be associated to heart disease. If one of your family members is diagnosed with coronary artery disease, your risk of having it is greater. If you are also a chain smoker or you often inhale second-hand smoke, you will also have a higher chance of developing coronary artery disease.

Being inactive and just sitting or sleeping all day will also bring you more risk for heart disease. Activity is required to keep your muscles strong and functioning. Just like working out, your heart muscles need to be toned for it to become tougher and work a lot better than it used to.

Obesity also increases the chance of having heart disease. Fat is a major contributory factor for the development of heart disease and people who are obese or overweight have a lot of fat stored in their bodies. These fats need to be burned down to lose weight and prevent having serious complications such as heart disease.

All in all, heart disease is caused by living an inappropriate lifestyle. Keep in mind that no matter how rich you are, it is not an excuse for you not to work. Exercise should also be a regular habit so that your muscles will be tougher and can reach their optimum functioning.

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