What Causes Coronary Diseases?

What causes coronary diseases?

Coronary heart disease is the UK’s biggest killers but there are many cases that could be avoided. Coronary heart disease is commonly associated with an unhealthy lifestyle and making a few changes could dramatically decrease your risk of having a heart attack or suffering from angina.

Coronary artery disease, more commonly known as coronary heart disease, is caused by the collection of fatty deposits on the walls of the coronary arteries. This process is known as atherosclerosis. The coronary arteries are very important because they deliver blood to the heart. The heart muscle requires a constant flow of oxygen-rich blood to enable it to continue pumping blood around the body. Coronary heart disease affects the body’s ability to pump blood around the body because the fatty deposits obstruct the blood flow. This means that blood cannot reach the heart. If the arteries are narrowed as a result of atherosclerosis then this can result in chest pain and angina. If the artery is completely blocked this can cause a heart attack.

Risk factors for atherosclerosis include:

• a diet that is high in saturated fat, which contributes to high cholesterol levels
• smoking:
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• living a sedentary lifestyle
• being overweight
• family history: if you have a close relative with CHD you have a higher risk of suffering from the disease

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is essential for good health but elevated levels can be very dangerous. Cholesterol is a form of fat made by the liver. Cholesterol levels in the body are related to the amount of saturated fat we eat; cholesterol is carried around the body by lipoproteins and there are two main types of lipoprotein: high density and low density. Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are often known as ‘bad cholesterol’ because the lipoproteins take the cholesterol to the cells, while high density lipoproteins (HDL) are known as ‘good cholesterol’ because the lipoproteins take the cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver so that it can be broken down. Cardiac medicine experts recommend a maximum total blood cholesterol level of 5mmol/litre and a maximum LDL of 3mmol/litre.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure is dangerous because it puts pressure and strain on the heart muscle. High blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure of 140mmHg or above and a diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or above. If you have high blood pressure you can make lifestyle changes, including changing your diet, giving up smoking, decreasing the amount of alcohol you drink and exercising more frequently to lower your blood pressure reading. If these do not work then you may be advised to take medication.