Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) - Yoonsik Park - January. 22. 2016

Factors leading to 

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

What is CHD?

The British Heart Foundation defines it as when fats periodically build up in the walls of the coronary arteries (arteries that pump oxygen-rich blood to the heart) and narrowing them. 

The flow of blood is slowed down or blocked, so the heart may not get enough oxygen-rich blood into it, which would lead to heart attack. According to nhs.uk, it is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Atherosclerosis - is the technical term for a disease in the arteries in which fatty materials build up on the inner walls of the arteries; according to mayoclininc.org 

(picture 1 : http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad )

As it can be seen in (Picture 1), as the plaque, or fatty substances, builds up in the coronary artery, it narrows it down, getting in the way of normal blood flow. 

(picture 2 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Blausen_0259_CoronaryArteryDisease_02.png) 

Picture 2 is a more close-up, sideways view of the fatty substances and plaque buildup in the coronary arteries. As you can see, the channel for blood to flow is significantly narrowed. What causes CHD? Let us find out. 

Causes of CHD

Fatty substances are build up in your coronary arteries.

Some factors that may cause the buildup of fatty substances are

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes (High levels of sugar in the blood)
• Obesity, being overweight
• Diet 

1) Smoking - cigarettes are known to be the cause of many health problems. Cardiovascular health-wise, it increases the chance of CHD because it increases blood pressure, raising the risk of blood clotting. It also triggers plaque buildup in the arteries. 

2) High Blood Pressure - according to Sameer A. Sayeed, Doctor in Cardiology, having high blood pressure causes pressure on the arteries, which damages the walls, making it easier for fatty substances to build up on it. 

3) High Blood Cholesterol(fatty, wax like substance) - there is bad cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins, LDL) and there is good cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins, HDL). High levels of LDL will cause buildup in the arteries, and increase your chance of getting CHD. HDL aids in the removal of cholesterol from the arteries, so it is referred to as 'good cholesterol.' High blood cholesterol is usually from being obese, which means there is a problem in your diet, and exercise levels. 

4) Diabetes - high blood sugar level increases the chance of plaque buildup in your arteries, increasing the chance of CHD. 

5) Obesity, Overweight (in adults) - obesity is connected to many causes of CHD such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes.

6) Diet- this is important, as in many cases it can prevent 4 of the causes of CHD mentioned above (high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity) 

Unhealthy diet may lead to CHD. If you eat too much foods (creams, butter, popcorn, sweets, etc) that have high saturated and trans-fats(artificial), and LDL, you may want to change your diet. You want to eat healthy (fruits, vegetables, meat).

However, although there seems to be a correlation of the causes mentioned above and coronary heart disease (meaning that there seems to be a connection), finding exact evidence on the causes of CHD in humans may be hard because it is difficult to conduct experiments on humans where conditions are exactly measured. 

For example, if a research team wanted to see the relationship of a person's diet and CHD, it is hard for a human to stay on a very strict diet. Also there may be other causes that are not taken into account.  

Effects of CHD

The narrowing of the coronary arteries can cause heart damage and heart attack. 

If you experience chest pain, nausea, irregular breathing, and or shortness of breath, you may want to go to the doctor and get checked up. 

Like the public service advertisement (picture 3) you should quit smoking. Also you want to exercise more, eat less junk food and eat healthier. 

(Picture 3 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Exercise,_Smoking_and_Coronary_Heart_Disease.png/280px-Exercise,_Smoking_and_Coronary_Heart_Disease.png)

We should all be aware of the causes and symptoms of CHD, and try to avoid unhealthy habits if we want to live a healthy, long life.