Coronary artery disease, or heart disease, remains the leading cause of death in America. While other diseases and tragedies, such as cancer, suicide, and drug overdose, come close, heart disease takes the cake on being the top killer among Americans. To speak with a qualified Los Angeles cardiologist, contact Dr. Madyoon today!
What is Coronary Artery Disease?
The human heart pumps 3,000 gallons of blood through your body on a daily basis. Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque build-up in the arteries. Plaque build-up makes the walls of arteries, once elastic and clear, more rigid and tightened. When this happens, blood flow to the heart decreases or becomes restricted, thus causing less oxygen to reach the organ. Less oxygen to the heart creates more severe problems such as blood clots, heart attack, and even death.
How & Why Does Coronary Artery Disease Occur?
Plaque build-up in your arteries may start at a very young age and build over time. The inner walls of blood vessels become rather sticky from the presence of plaque and collect things traveling in your bloodstream, such as inflammatory cells and lipoproteins. With this collection, the plaque only increases, thus making the blood vessels narrower as the artery walls get pushed out from the inward growth.
Our body is a magnificent system and will find new ways of getting blood to the heart, like developing new blood vessels. However, new arteries will become overworked and will no longer be able to carry oxygen to the heart. This causes high blood pressure, blood clots, and may even result in a stroke.
Several things cause coronary artery disease. First and foremost, you’ll want to take a look at your family’s medical history. If your family has a long line of heart disease, it’s likely you will also get this disease. Other factors like dieting and exercise play a huge role. Eating processed foods, being overweight, and generally not taking care of your body can greatly increase your chances of receiving heart disease. Increased stress levels could also be a cause of heart disease, as well as a history of diabetes,
Coronary Artery Disease Symptoms
Symptoms of heart disease include general chest pain, including a feeling of pressure, aching, burning, squeezing, or fullness. You may also experience shortness of breath, sweating, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.
Prevention and Treatment
If you have a medical or family history of coronary artery disease, it’s important to get your health monitored regularly by a physician. Changing any poor lifestyle habits to healthy habits is also key to prevention and treatment. Getting an adequate amount of exercise in a week and eating more fruits and vegetables will greatly aid in your overall heart health. Keep a careful eye on processed foods, smoking, alcohol abuse, and other drug use. You may also want to incorporate some spiritual practices to reduce your stress, such as meditating, coloring, and getting a healthy amount of sleep. Getting regular stress, cholesterol, and blood pressure tests are also key to staying on top of your heart health. Here are some further health tips from the American Heart Association to help prevent heart disease at any age.
Visiting a Los Angeles Cardiologist
If you feel you may have or are susceptible to coronary artery disease, don’t wait to act. Prevention should be a top priority, especially if there is a family history of the disease. Heart disease is no joke as it will likely lead to death. Don’t let the chance pass you by to take charge of your life by taking charge of your health. Beverly Hills Vein and Cardiovascular Institute treats coronary artery disease with the utmost care. For a consultation, don’t hesitate to call 310-492-8858 or visit us online.