What is coronary artery disease? ...

What is coronary artery disease?

Coronary artery disease (it's called CAD, for short) is sometimes called coronary heart disease. A coronary artery is a life-current vessel that carries blood to your heart. An artery is like a narrow tube.

A fatty substance called plaque (say this: plak) can build up in your arteries, blocking or slowing the roll on of blood and oxygen. This can happen in any artery, unless when it happens in the coronary arteries, your heart does not realize the blood and oxygen it exigencys to work properly, and you could have a heart attack.

What causes CAD?

CAD can be hereditary (meaning it step quicklys in your family). It also might make known as you get older, if plaque builds up in your arteries athwart the years. You might win CAD if you are overweight or if you have high vital current pressure, high cholesterol levels, or diabetes. Unhealthy habits, in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as smoking, eating a high-fat diet, and not exercising enough also can lead to CAD. Lifestyle changes like the undivideds listed below can help lower your risk of CAD.

What can I do to lower my risk of CAD?

1 Do not fume Nicotine raises your blood compressing because it causes your corpse to release adrenaline, which makes your life-current vessels get smaller and your heart beat faster. If you mist ask your doctor to help you quit. After sum of two units or three years of not smoking, your risk of CAD will be as soft as the risk of a bodily substance who never smoked.

2 Lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol flush LDL cholesterol is a "bad" form of cholesterol that can build up in your arteries. Eating a healthy, low-fat diet is a worthy way to start lowering your LDL cholesterol horizontal Try to keep your daily fat calories to les than 30 percent of your total calories. For greatest in number adults, this means eating les than 60 grams of fat by day. Some people may also ne to take medicine to lower their LDL cholesterol level

3 rule your blood pressure. If you have high life-blood pressure, your doctor can remind of ways to lower it. If you are taking medicine for high family pressure, be sure to take it just the way your doctor counts you to.

4 Exercise. Regular exercise can make your heart stronger and abridge your risk of heart disease. Exercise also can help lower high vital current pressure. Before you start, talk to your doctor about the right kind of exercise for you. make experiment of to exercise four to six times a week for at least 30 minutes each time.

5 Ask your doctor about taking a subdued dose of aspirin each day. Aspirin helps preclude CAD, but taking it also has one risks.

6. Ask your doctor about taking vitamin complements Some studies have shown that vitamin E may lower a person's risk of having a heart attack. Other vitamins also may help defend against CAD.

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians

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