What is coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is sometimes called coronary artery disease. A coronary artery is a blood vessel that carries blood to heart muscle. These arteries are like narrow tubes. A fatty substance called plaque can build up in arteries, blocking or slowing the flow of blood and oxygen through them. This can happen in any artery, but when it happens in the coronary arteries, the heart muscle doesn't get the blood and oxygen it needs to work properly. Coronary heart disease can lead to serious health problems, including angina (pain or pressure in the chest) and heart attack.

Plaque formation
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Narrowed artery

Narrowed artery

What are the risk factors?

Risk factors for heart disease

• Having already had a heart attack

• Being a man 45 years of age or older

• Having a father or brother who had heart disease

• Being a woman who is going through menopause or has completed menopause

• Having a mother or sister who had heart disease

• Smoking cigarettes

• Having high blood pressure or diabetes

• Being very overweight

• Being inactive

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that the body makes and uses to protect nerves, make cell tissues and produce hormones. It's also present in meat and dairy foods we eat. There are several types of cholesterol, including low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

LDL cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol because it can build up on the inside of arteries, causing them to become narrow from plaque. HDL is called "good" cholesterol because it protects arteries from plaque buildup.

Many foods, even if they don't contain cholesterol, contain fats that can lower or raise LDL or HDL cholesterol.

How to reduce the risk of CHD?

1. Stop smoking: Nicotine raises the blood pressure because it causes the body to release adrenaline, which makes blood vessels constrict and heart beat faster. After 2 or 3 years of not smoking, the risk of CHD will be as low as the risk of a person who never smoked.

2. Control blood pressure.

3. Exercise a>Regular exercise can make the heart stronger and reduce the risk of heart disease. Exercise can also help to reduce high blood pressure.

4. Take a low dose of aspirin each day. Aspirin helps prevent CHD, but taking it also has some risks.

5. Take vitamin supplements. Some studies have shown that vitamin E may lower a person's risk of having a heart attack. Other vitamins may also help protect against CHD.

6. Eat a healthy diet. Add foods to your diet that are low in cholesterol and saturated fats, because the body turns saturated fats into cholesterol.