Coronary Heart Disease Essay

Home Health and Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) has many names. It is sometimes called atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, hardening of the arteries, or simply heart disease. Regardless of its name, coronary heart disease occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries causing them to narrow and harden. The narrow and hardened arteries make it much more difficult for the heart to pump blood through them.

Complicating issues, when blood does not move quickly, it can start to clot. This is a great characteristic of blood, but you do not want it to happen while the blood is still inside the body. Blood clots further narrow the arteries and may even completely restrict the blood flow. If a blood clot forms or breaks

In these cases, the heart may beat too many times, not enough times, or even stop beating for a time. When the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body 's needs, this is known as heart failure.

All of these issues are related to the underlying problem of coronary heart disease.

Risk factors for CHD include smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure (anything over 130/80), obesity, diabetes, a family history of coronary heart disease, and old age. In men, the risk for coronary heart disease increases each year after 45. In women, the risk increases each year after 55.

Since four of the risk factors include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, it makes sense that a lifestyle including a lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet greatly increase the chances of developing coronary heart disease.

The risks of CHD can be decreased significantly through lifestyle changes and home health support. The first step is to stop smoking and avoiding places with second-hand smoke. Next, increase the amount of exercise that is done so at least 30 minutes of physical activity is performed 5 times each week. Just adding an exercise regimen can lower body weight, cholesterol, and blood