| Do you know that Coronary Heart Disease is the | | | | coronary arteries than men, so it takes less plague to |
| most common type of heart disease in developed and | | | | block them. |
| industrialized countries? Have you heard that CHD is | | | | Plague rupture and thrombosis leads to a complete |
| responsible for over half a million death in the United | | | | blockage of an artery. When these plagues break, it |
| States and more than 150,000 deaths in the U.K. alone | | | | releases a complex chemical which triggers a lot of |
| yearly? What is this Coronary Heart Disease all about | | | | events leading to thrombosis. |
| anyway? Then, get to know CHD and what causes it. | | | | The most common symptom of CHD is Angina |
| Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is simply the disease | | | | Pectoris (chest pain). Angina occurs as a result of |
| of the coronary artery, a situation whereby the artery | | | | restriction of blood flow to the heart due to plague |
| that supply blood to the heart is clogged or blocked, | | | | formation in the coronary arteries. The pain is |
| reducing blood flow to the heart muscles which need | | | | described as a crushing or gripping pain across the |
| oxygen from the blood supply and this could lead to a | | | | chest which may also radiate into the teeth or throat |
| complete artery blockage. When this happens in the | | | | and followed by sweating and breathlessness. |
| heart, the result is heart attack medically known as | | | | The pain arises from the muscle fiber of the heart that |
| myocardial infarction. The same process in blood | | | | has insufficient supply of oxygen. The harder the heart |
| vessels supplying the brain results in a stroke. | | | | muscles works, the more the oxygen will be required |
| Coronary Heart Disease is caused mainly by:formation | | | | and the greater the imbalance between the oxygen |
| of plagues (fatty deposits) in the lining of the arteries, | | | | supply and demand. This is why Angina is typically |
| rupture of this plagues and a subsequent development | | | | triggered by physical activities. It can also occur after |
| of a blood clot known as thrombosis in the artery. | | | | stress and anxiety. |
| These plagues narrow the arteries so that less blood | | | | Heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when the |
| flows through them thereby depriving the heart | | | | degree of narrowing of the coronary is high or if there |
| muscles of the much needed oxygen. If blood supply is | | | | has been a blood clot (thrombosis) which blocks the |
| not restored, there will be a permanent damage to the | | | | arteries. It is important to know that heart attack can |
| heart. | | | | occur anytime, anywhere without warning. These are |
| Because of our western lifestyle especially in dieting, | | | | the warning symptoms of heart attack: Chest |
| the health of arteries gradually deteriorates as we | | | | discomfort, Sweating, Dizziness or nausea, Fatigue, |
| grow older. Fats and cholesterol is the major cloggier | | | | palpitation, Fainting, breathlessness. Not all these |
| of the arteries. The fatty deposits (plagues) in the | | | | symptoms occur in every attack |
| artery are medically called atheroma and the whole | | | | CHD and stroke are two most common form of |
| process is known as atherosclerosis. | | | | cardiovascular disease. They account for about 75 per |
| The more the fatty deposits (plagues), the greater the | | | | cent of all the deaths relating to heart diseases. |
| risk of heart attacks. Women should beware because | | | | To learn more about Coronary Heart disease visit |
| a woman's heart is smaller and has narrower | | | | Knowledge is power, so Learn and Live! |