Essay On Coronary Artery Disease

The term heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is Coronary Artery Disease which affects the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack. This can also lead to heart attacks, every 46 seconds someone is the U.S has a heart attack and around 735,000 people have a heart attack every year. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. It is a medical condition that occurs when the pressure of the blood in your arteries and other blood vessels is too high. The high pressure, if not controlled, can affect your heart and other major organs of your body, including your kidneys and brain. High blood pressure is often called a “silent

Another risk factor is having high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance made by the liver or found in certain foods. Your liver makes enough for your body’s needs, but we often get more cholesterol from the foods we eat. If we take in more cholesterol than the body can use, the extra cholesterol can build up in the walls of the arteries, including those of the heart. This leads to narrowing of the arteries and can decrease the blood flow to the heart, brain, kidneys, and other parts of the body. Some cholesterol is good, and some is bad. High cholesterol is the term used for high levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, which are considered “bad” because they can lead to heart disease. A higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or HDL, is considered good because it provides some protection against heart disease. A blood test can detect the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Finally, ways of reducing heart disease are the following; maintaining a healthy weight, reduce alcohol intake, minimal smoking to none, eating a healthy diet, and being active. Being overweight or obese increases your risk for heart