Atherosclerosis is a disease of the body’s arteries. When plaques from fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances build up in our arteries, which carry oxygenated blood to the heart and other parts of the body, the pathways to vital organs become narrow or blocked – this is known as Atherosclerosis. Just as plaque build up on our teeth can lead to the gum disease gingivitis, plaque build up in our arteries can lead to atherosclerosis, but with our teeth we can usually see if there is a build up of plaque just by looking in the mirror. We cannot, however, see the inside of our arteries without the help of specialized imaging devices; therefore we generally have to monitor our arterial health based on our blood pressure readings and lab results. Because we cannot easily see our arteries and we don’t have our vital signs read on a daily basis, it is important to do as much as we can to prevent the disease Atherosclerosis. Although, there is a small chance of an individual developing Atherosclerosis due to their genes, many risk factors for the disease are controllable, including: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and controlling diabetes.
Atherosclerosis is also known as “hardening of the arteries” and can lead to many complications, including: coronary artery disease, abnormal heart rhythms, chest pain, heart attack, peripheral artery disease, kidney failure, stroke, or an aneurysm.
One of the best things a person can do to prevent Atherosclerosis is to eat a healthy diet and create life-long healthy eating habits. Diets that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol create more plaque, which increases the chances of build up in the walls of your body’s arteries. Animal products ...
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...rt attack. Because the symptoms of Atherosclerosis do not appear until after damage has already been done, it is important to make healthy lifestyle changes while you still feel healthy. Eating a healthy diet is a great way to reduce your risk of developing Atherosclerosis; other things you can do to reduce the risk of developing this disease are: quit smoking, exercise regularly, reduce stress in your life, see your primary care provider for regular check ups, and if you have diabetes keep it under control. Some people also feel that acupuncture is helpful in preventing Atherosclerosis and may help to reduce certain risk factors. Most importantly, eating a nutritious diet can help to prevent the arterial disease Atherosclerosis, by decreasing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess weight – three of the major risk factors for developing Atherosclerosis.
Coronary artery disease is a heart disease characterized by narrow arteries and restricted blood flow in arteries and is the major cause of morbidity and mortality globally.[1] According to WHO estimation, 6.8% in men and 5.3% in women are affected globally.[2-4] Cardiovascular disease account for 29% of all deaths in Canada; of all the cardiovascular death, 54% and 23% was due to ischemic heart disease and heart attack, respectively. The total costs for heart disease and stroke were more than $20.9 billion every year. [5,6] With more than 1 artery impacted, multivessel coronary artery disease is more complex and more likely accompanied by other comorbidities including diabetes or high blood pressure; multivessel coronary artery disease usually is more difficult to deal with, has worse prognosis and cost more compared with single coronary artery disease. [7]
LDL or bad cholesterol comes from food that is a high source of cholesterol and/or saturated fats. Plaque forms when bad or LDL cholesterol builds up in your bloodstream and attaches to the arterial wall, as more LDL builds up the plaque becomes larger, this can become a major problem for your cardiovascular system. Because plaque is a substance that has rough edges, it reduces the elastic nature of the artery which means your heart will have to work double-time to pump the necessary blood to all your limbs, that will mean your limbs won’t get the amount of oxygen that they require to function properly. Plaque can also narrow the area blood has to pass through, this means your heart has to work overtime and overall capacity of your cardiovascular system is lowered. When the LDL cholesterol embeds itself in the wall of the artery it than damages the artery then blood pressure expands it which causes an aneurysm. When an aneurysm is too weak there is a high possibility of it bursting, when that happens it leaves the cells in and around that area without oxygen. If that artery is connected to a major vital organ the person will most likely die. When the blood flow is slowed it shows a greater risk for blood clots and although blood clots are natural and important to healing broken blood vessels, if blood clots gather inside the blood vessel this proves to be a serious health risk. The clots have the possibility to get stuck and completely cut off the blood flow to cells, leaving them without oxygen and causing them to die. If a clot gets inside a blood vessel connected to a major organ this could cause the person to die. The heart is fed by the coronary artery, if plaque or a blood clot blocks off blood flow to the heart, the heart ...
Although atherosclerosis affects millions of people around the world, there are many ways to prevent and treat it once it has developed. Simple life style changes can greatly reduce the inflammation and damage to the endothelial wall of the artery. It is very important that people who have high blood pressure or diabetes get regular checkups; if atherosclerosis goes untreated, the adverse effects, such as stroke or myocardial infarction can be deadly.
CAD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the worldwide. The prevalence of biological and metabolic risk factors were also found to be high in development of coronary artery disease. Patients with hypercholesterolemia are at increased risk to experience cardiovascular events and to die from vascular disease [2]. .Statins, among the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide, are cholesterol let downing agents used to manage cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases and to treat hypercholesterolemia. Statin’s therapy ...
Coronary heart disease is defined by the hardening of the epicardial coronary arteries. The buildup of plaque in the arteries slowly narrows the coronary artery lumen. In order to better understand the physiology of the disease, it is important to first know the basic anatomy of the human heart. The aorta, located in the superior region of the heart, branches off into two main coronary blood vessels, otherwise known as arteries. The arteries are located on the left and right side of the heart and span its surface. They subsequently branch off into smaller arteries which supply oxygen-rich blood to the entire heart (Texas Heart Institute, 2013). Therefore, the narrowing of these arteries due to plaque buildup significantly impairs blood flow throughout the heart.
Since 1960 the age-adjusted mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has declined steadily in the U.S. due to multiple factors, but still remains one of the primary causes of morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Greater control of risk factors and improved treatments for cardiovascular disease has significantly contributed to this decline (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). In the U.S. alone it claims approximately 830,000 each year and accounts for 1/6 of all deaths under the age of 65 (Weiss and Lonnquist, 2011). Based on the 2007 mortality rate data an average of 1 death every 37 seconds is due to cardiovascular disease (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2009). Controlling and reducing risk factors is crucial for saving lives. There are a number of contributing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which may appear in the form of hereditary, behavioral, and psychological, all of which ultimately converge in social or cultural factors.
A disease or a disorder for the blood vessels can be fatal. The coronary arteries supply and maintain the myocardium. Coronary artery disease can cause a heart attack or hypertension when blood vessels get small or filled up with cholesterol, scar tissue, or calcium. Other problems can happen also. For instance disorders for the heart valves or for the heart muscle and pericardium.
Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of CAD. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease characterized by fat deposits in the arteries causing them to block the normal passage of blood. No one is quite sure how atherosclerosis develops. The plaque consists mostly of cholesterol, phospholipids and smooth muscle cells. They also reduce the size of the lumen of the affected artery which impairs the blood flow of this artery and later on could form a thrombus that will completely occlude the vessel. “Unfortunately, signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis usually don’t develop until at least 70% of an artery’s lumen has become obstructed. Angina is almost always the first symptom to appear.”(Journal: The killer behind CAD,2010). Modifiable factors that could prevent the occurrence of CAD include cigarette smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, atherogenic diet like diet high in cholesterol, use of contraceptive and hormone therapy replacement. “Women continue to ...
Atherosclerotic lesions in patients with diabetes are indistinguishable from lesions in patients in whom another characteristic, like hypercholesterolemia or smoking, is the major ...
Exercise. Being active reduces the risk of heart disease. You should spend 120 minutes a week walking, jogging, riding a bike or any other activity that increases your heart rate.
In the past decades the incidence of heart disease has increased, about three million people dying of cardiovascular disease in China per year (according to statistics from the Ministry of Public Health of China), which draws people’s great concern to find ways to take precautions. With the development of element analytical method, some types of chemical substances that are beneficial to cardiac health have been found. Lycopene is a very popular natural anti-oxidants found in recent years (Dai, 2011), as well as capsaicin and dietary fiber. Whilst some research focuses on the mechanism of action, little attention has been paid to usability issues, in particular to the generalization of health-giving chemical substances in ordinary meals. There is a lot of evidence that vegetables can positively contribute to prevent heart diseases, by supplying biologically active components. This article continues previous research in the field of Biochemistry and Medical Science, mainly trying to study the effective components which can prevent heart disease in edible vegetables.
Coronary heart disease occurs when some of the arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle become narrowed with fatty deposits. In this condition fatty deposits called plaque, composed of cholesterol (see later) and fats, build up on the inner wall of the coronary arteries. When arteries are narrowed, the heart is not fully supplied with the oxygen and other nutrients it needs. If an artery is completely blocked, a heart attack occurs. Heart disease is very common.
There are preventive measures that can be taken to prevent coronary heart disease. Go to the doctor and get a regularly routine checkup. Mainly have a healthy lifestyle by having a healthy diet; this diet should include a low salt intake, whole grain foods, low fat/ fat free diary, meats (lean), fruits , vegetables, nuts, and water. Also physical activities or being active decrease the chances of getting CHD.
“You can prevent heart disease by eating real, healthy food”(The Real Cause of Heart Disease). Food related diseases are a big problem in America. One of those problems is heart disease. Heart disease is becoming a real problem because people buying junk food in result of getting diseases due to eating bad foods when they should be eating foods with lots nutrition, minerals, proteins, and vitamins.
Cardiovascular disease is known to be the leading cause of death. One would ponder upon the main cause of such a disease. When it comes to the risk factors, the two main causes of cardiovascular disease are lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. “You are what you eat” is a common phrase, which is used to emphasize the significance of a healthy diet as key to better health. For instance, if an individual consumes unhealthy meals on a daily basis, he or she would accumulate fat in their body and be unhealthy.