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Coronary Artery Disease Is The Most Common Type Of Heart Disease

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Coronary Artery Disease is the most common type of heart disease and is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women. It is caused by a buildup of cholesterol and other materials on the inner walls of arteries. The buildup is called atherosclerosis. As the buildup grows the heart gets less and less blood supply thereby depleting it of oxygen. This eventually leads to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack which is usually caused by a clot that suddenly breaks off the hearts blood supply which causes permanent heart damage. Over time, if this condition continues it can eventually lead to heart failure and arrhythmias. An arrhythmia is a change in the heart’s normal beating process (MedlinePlus 2015). Coronary Artery disease is caused by damage or injury to the inner layer of a coronary artery and can be caused by a number of factors. Some of them are; smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or insulin resistance, and/or a sedentary lifestyle. After the wall of an artery is damaged it makes it much easier for fatty deposits (plaque) such as cholesterol and other fatty waste products to build up on the linings of artery walls. This process is known as atherosclerosis. If this plaque breaks or ruptures platelets will clump at the site to try and repair the artery, but this can also block the arteries which can lead to a heart attack. The main factors that place a person at risk for this disease are age, as getting older is

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