Coronary Artery Disease

 

What is Coronary Artery Disease?

 

Coronary artery disease refers to a disease in which blood does not reach the heart. This is mainly due to blockage or defect in the arteries that carry blood to the heart.

 

Coronary artery disease develops when the major blood vessels (coronary arteries) that supply blood, oxygen, and nutrients to your heart are damaged. Swelling in your arteries, and cholesterol plaques are usually responsible for coronary artery disease.

 

When plaque begins to freeze, it makes your coronary arteries narrow and reduces blood flow to your heart. Finally, decreased blood flow may indicate signs and symptoms of angina, shortness of breath, or other coronary artery disease. When the coronary arteries are completely blocked by plaque a heart attack may occur.

 

Since coronary artery disease often develops over decades, you may not notice any problems until your coronary arteries are particularly obstructed or have a heart attack. But there is a lot you can do to prevent and treat coronary artery disease. A healthy lifestyle can have a very significant effect in this regard.

 

Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease –

 

The most common symptom is angina or chest pain –

 

1.       Heaviness

2.       Stress

3.       Numbness

4.       Feeling of pain

 

It may be wrong to call it indigestion or chest irritation. Angina is usually felt in the chest, especially in the left chest –

 

1.       Left shoulder

2.       The Arms

3.       The Neck

4.       The Back

5.       Jaw

 

Causes and Risk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease –

 

1.       Age - The risk of damaged and narrowed arteries increases with increasing age.

2.       Family History - Family history of heart disease is associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a close relative has had heart disease at an early age. If your father or brother has detected heart disease before the age of 55 or your mother or sister has suffered from heart disease before the age of 65. So your risk is the highest.

3.       Smoking - People who smoke have a significantly higher risk of heart disease. The risk of coronary artery disease is also increased by breathing smoke in another person's smoking.

4.       High Blood Pressure - Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in your arteries becoming tighter and thicker, which can narrow the blood flow pathway.

5.       High Cholesterol - High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of producing 'Plaque' and 'Atherosclerosis'. High cholesterol can also be caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), known as 'Bad Cholesterol'. Low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), known as 'Good Cholesterol', can be a sign of 'Atherosclerosis'.

6.       Diabetes (Sugar) - Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease are similar, such as obesity and hypertension.

7.       Overweight or Obesity - Excess weight usually makes other risk factors more serious.

8.       Physical inactivity - Lack of exercise is also associated with coronary artery disease and some of its risk factors.

9.       High Stress - Continuous stress in your life can damage your arteries and worsen the condition of other risk factors for coronary artery disease.

 

Sometimes coronary artery disease also develops without any major risk factors.

 

1.       Sleep Apnea - In this disorder, breathing often stops and starts at bedtime. During sleep apnea there is a sudden drop in oxygen levels in the blood, which increases blood pressure and causes a stretch in the cardiovascular system. These likely increase the likelihood of coronary artery disease.

2.       High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein - High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HS-CRP) is a common protein that appears in high amounts when there is inflammation somewhere in your body. High HS-CRP levels may be a risk factor for heart disease. It is thought that as the coronary arteries become narrow, the amount of HS-CRP in your blood will increase.

3.       High Triglycerides - This is a type of fat (lipid) in your blood. Its high levels may increase the risk of coronary artery disease, especially for women.

4.       Homocysteine - Homocysteine is an amino acid that your body uses to make proteins and to build and repair tissue. But high levels of homocysteine may increase the risk of coronary artery disease.

 

Coronary Artery Disease Prevention –

 

Changing lifestyle can help prevent or slow the progression of coronary artery disease.

 

1.       Do not Smoke - Smoking is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict and makes your cardiovascular functioning difficult. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood and damages the lining of your blood vessels. If you smoke, quitting is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of heart attack.

2.       Control your Blood Pressure - Every two years after the age of 18, get your doctor to measure your blood pressure. If you are 40 years of age or older or you are 18-39 years old and have a high risk of high blood pressure, consult your doctor about blood pressure readings every year. If your blood pressure is above normal or you have a history of heart disease, then you should meet your doctor regularly and follow his suggestion.

3.       Get your Cholesterol Checked - Every five years from the age of 20 Years, get a suggestion from your doctor for a cholesterol test.

4.       Control Sugar - If you have diabetes, strong blood sugar management can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

5.       Be Active - Exercise helps you lose weight and keep the body healthy, as well as controls diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure - all of which are risk factors for coronary artery disease. Set a goal to do physical activity for about 45 to 60 minutes on most days of the week in consultation with your doctor.

6.       Eat Healthy Foods - A heart-healthy diet, such as Mediterranean food - that emphasizes tree foods. Such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. This diet contains low amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, which can help control your weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Eating fish once or twice a week is beneficial.

7.       Maintain Weight - Being overweight increases the risk of coronary artery disease. Losing a few pounds of weight can also help lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

8.       Manage Stress - As much as possible, reduce stress. Practice healthy techniques for managing stress, such as muscle dysfunction and deep breathing. (What is Stress? Read More ... )

 

In addition to healthy lifestyle changes, regular medical check-up are also very important. Some of the major risk factors for coronary artery disease are - high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. There are no symptoms in their initial phase. Their identification and treatment in the initial stage keeps the heart healthy and you can lead a better life.

The information here is taken from various sources. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy, timeliness and genuineness of this information. However, it does not belong to ovihealth.com. We humbly request you to contact your doctor before trying any remedy. Our aim is just to provide you information.