Paper Topic:

Coronary heart disease

CORONARY HEART DISEASE

Introduction

Coronary artery disease (CAD ) is a heart disease in which blood flow is obstructed through the coronary arteries that usually supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood . It is a condition in which plague (made up of fat , cholesterol , calcium , and other substances found in the blood builds up in the coronary arteries this condition is referred to as atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries

Atherosclerosis is gradual most often takes decades before the affected person is in danger of cardiovascular problems . If CAD is untreated it

often continues to worsen . Many CAD patients have symptoms like chest pain (angina ) and fatigue , which occur when the heart does not receive sufficient oxygen . However , as many as 50 percent of patients do not have symptoms until a heart attack occurs

Millions of people in the United States have CAD . However , strategies to aid in reducing risk factors for CAD , or slow its progression has already started which include : learning your family medical history eating a heart-healthy diet , exercising regularly among others

1 . Analysis of the coronary artery disease

Atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries

Atherosclerosis or plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to your heart muscle . It also makes blood clots more likely to form in your arteries . Blood clots can partially or Figure A : shows a normal artery with normal blood flow

Figure B : shows an artery with plaque buildup (Atherosclerosis (Parmacek , 2001

When coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked , oxygen-rich blood cannot reach the heart muscle . This can result into angina or a heart attack Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when insufficient oxygen-rich blood is flowing to an area of your heart muscle . Angina may feel like pressure in ones chest . Also , the pain may occur in ones shoulders , arms , neck , jaw , or back . On the other hand , heart attack happens when blood flow to a given area of ones heart muscle is blocked . Hence , preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching that area of heart muscle and causes it to die which can lead to serious problems and even death if not treated quickly . CAD with time weakens the heart muscle and lead to heart failure (where heart cannot pump enough blood throughout your body ) and arrhythmias (problems with the speed or rhythm of ones heartbeat

The other names of CAD include : Atherosclerosis , coronary heart disease hardening of the arteries , heart disease , ischemic heart disease , or narrowing of the arteries (Parmacek , 2001

Does it affect many people

Millions of people , approximately7 million Americans suffer from CAD

Is it serious

CAD is the most popular type of heart disease . It is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States more than 500 ,000 Americans die of CAD-related heart attacks each year (Bruce , 2000

Which age group does it affect

Some Atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries occurs as a person grows older . However , the most affected people are those over 45 years for men and over 55 years...

16 pages

146.5 KB

Free sing-up