CORONARY HEART DISEASE

What is it?
It is a common form of heart disease where the arteries that supply blood to the heart become hardened due to build up of plaque known as atherosclerosis.

CAUSES

• Smoking
• High levels of certain fats and cholersterol in the blood
• High blood pressure
• High levels if sugar in the blood due to diabetes
• Blood vessel inflammation

Plaque will build up over time and may harden or rupture, damaging the vessels. Hardened plaque also narrows the coronary arteries and reduces the flow of oxygen Rich blood to the heart.

WHO GETS IT?

• People at an older age
• People with a family history of heart disease
• The overweight or obese
• Diabetics
• Anyone who indulges in smoking or an extremely unhealthy lifestyle

SYMPTOMS

• Some have no symptoms until they experience:
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Angina (chest pains)
• Or arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)

TREATMENTS

• Lifestyle changes to reduce risk factors
• Medecines
• Angioplasty
• Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
• Cardiac Rehibilitation

HOW DOES IT RELATE TO THE NORMAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY?

• Normal blood vessels do not have blockage and allow blood to flow
• This disease causes arteries to not all the full range of blood through
• It damages the arteries whereas normal arteries are not
• It has plaque and normal arteries do not
• It can causes heart attacks or angina and normal arteries do not