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Cardiovascular Disease : A Type Of Blood Vessel Disorder Essay

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Research shows that the main cause of death in the United States has been found to be cardiovascular disease. The leading type of cardiovascular disease is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and it accounts for the majority of these deaths. Coronary Artery disease is a type of blood vessel disorder that is included in the general category of Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is often referred to as “hardening of the arteries.” (Lewis, 2011) Individuals with CAD have genetic predisposition. Familial hypercholesterolemia, meaning high cholesterol in the blood, has been linked with CAD at early ages. In majority of cases of hypercholesterolemia, clients who have angina or myocardial infarction (MI) can name a parent or sibling who has died from CAD. Individuals who have incidence of coronary artery disease are often more likely to fit the demographic of middle aged, Caucasian males. Coronary Artery disease is also present among African American, Hispanic, and Native American ethnicities. African Americans have earlier onset and African American females have a higher death rate and incidence than Caucasian women. Native Americans over the age of 35 years have mortality rates twice as high as any other American because of the modifiable risk factors that include tobacco use, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Gender, a non-modifiable risk factor also plays a role on the individual with coronary artery disease. Men start to exhibit signs and symptoms of CAD 10 years earlier

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