Pathophysiology Of Coronary Heart Disease Essay

Atherosclerosis is the process in which substances known as plaques, which are made up of cholesterol and platelets, adhere to tears in the walls of arteries. Over time these plaques build up to the point where they occlude blood flow in the arteries. When this happens in the coronary arteries, either directly, as the result of buildup in the arteries themselves, indirectly in the form a clot from another part of the body breaking loose and becoming lodged in the coronary arteries, the usual result is a heart attack.3

Coronary Artery Disease, also known as CAD, is the most common form of heart disease. (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009) Coronary Artery Disease obstructs the blood flow in vessels that provides blood to the heart which is caused by the buildup of plaque on the artery walls. (Rogers, 2011, p.87) (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009) Plaque is a yellow substance that consists of fat substances, like cholesterol, and narrows or clogs the arteries which prevents blood flow. (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009) Plaque can build up in any artery but usually favors large and medium sized arteries. (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2009)

The plaque restricts blood flow to the heart and deprive the heart of oxygen it needs to function properly. CAD can be chronic, which is narrowing of the coronary artery and limitation of the blood supply to part of the muscle, or it can be acute, which results from a sudden plaque that ruptures. According to Warnica (2013), rupturing of the plaque “exposes collagen and other thrombogenic material, which activates platelets and the coagulation cascade, resulting in an acute thrombus, which interrupts coronary blood flow and causes some degree of myocardial ischemia.” The major risk factors that can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease are hypertension, dyslipidemia, tobacco smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and genetic predisposition. The risk factors present in M.T.’s life are history of angina pectoris, history of uncontrolled hypertension due to non-compliance with treatment, obesity, and stress. M.T. is overweight with 289 pounds. M.T.’s cholesterol level is high at 280mg/dl. M.T.’s stress is related to experiencing the death of his best friend and business partner from cancer. Having three teenage children who are constantly in trouble at school and a wife who recently lost her job can be a stress factor in M.T.’s

Or it can be resutling from a sudden rupture of a plaque and formation of a thrombus or blood clot. You can prevent and control coronary artery disease by taking steps to a healthy life style and also reduce risk high factors such as cholesterol and high blood pressure.There are tons of excercises that can boost your heart health, it can also help you get to your healthy weight goal. Start a heart healthy diet, this can help your disease from getting worse. Make a chart that compares heart healthy diets to see what foods are suggested for you in each plan. Heart healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, high fiber foods, fish, and foods in low sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. Talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program to see if it's safe. Try simming, jogging, biking, walking for at least 30 minutes on most of the days of the week, if not all days of the week. If you are at risk for heart disease you can ask your doctor aboout taking Aspririn. Taking Aspirin daily can reduce your chances of having a stroke and a heart attack. Daily Aspirin also lowers your chances of blood

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

1. Coronary heart disease is a condition when a plaque is formed in a coronary artery. The plaque stuck in the coronary artery can narrow the artery and therefore the oxygen-rich blood flow is reduced. In another case, the plaque can break open and a blood clot can be formed which blocks the artery and prevents the supply the heart with oxygen rich blood. In such situation a heart attack may occur. Coronary Heart Disease is usually caused by poor eating habits and lack of exercise.

The heart circulates itself by using the major coronary arteries, which are the left circumflex artery, right coronary artery and the left anterior descending artery. In the bloodstream, blood cells that deliver oxygen to the heart muscle, also contain fats, or lipids, which are also known as LDL cholesterol. As the blood passes through the artery, some of the fat accumulates in it, and overtime forms an atherosclerotic plaque. Some plaques are manageable in size and don’t obstruct the blood flow, so a person with asymptomatic CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) might have no myocardial ischemia and no chest pain. Though, if the plaque enlarges, the blood flow gets compromised due to the additional pressure needed to move the blood through that area. In this case, a patient would experience chest pain and would now have myocardial ischemia with exertion, this would be a stable angina case, which isn’t an emergency. But, even then, a patient is still at risk for a life threatening event, because the plaque could rupture and spread through the artery, blocking blood flow. This event is called coronary thrombosis. The myocardial would be injured and this would have to be immediately treated either by dissolving the thrombus, displacing it or completely removing it. To prevent this disease, one exercise, eat a heart healthy diet with more fruits and vegetables, foods that are low in saturated fats and

Alongside atherosclerosis, there are other risk factors that contribute to CAD, these can be classified as modifiable and non-modifiable factors. Modifiable factors are treatable and lead to prevention of major complications. Some examples are Alcohol consumption, smoking, activity level and diet. Hypertension, High cholesterol, high Triglycerides are also modifiable risk factors. Diabetes puts women at a higher risk for heart disease than men; poor glycemic control can triple the death rate in women.

Coronary artery disease (CAD), or heart disease, is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. CAD is usually caused by the development of atherosclerosis, the condition in which plaques made up of cholesterol-containing deposits build up in the arteries. When plaque buildup narrows or blocks the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle, there is a decrease in blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the heart. This decreased blood flow can cause angina pectoris or chest pain, shortness of breath, or a heart attack. CAD weakens the heart muscle and leads to heart failure, in which the heart cannot pump enough blood the way it should to satisfy the body’s demands, or cardiac arrhythmias, in which the heartbeat is irregular.

Plaque build-up in the arteries is known as atherosclerosis. “Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.” (National Institutes of Health, 2016). After a while, plaque solidifies and constricts the arteries. This reduces the movement of oxygen rich blood to the heart. When plaque accumulates in the coronary arteries it is called Coronary Artery Disease. “When a plaque in a heart artery breaks, a blood clot forms around the plaque. This blood clot can block the blood flow through the heart muscle.” (American Heart Association, Inc., 2016).

The pathophysiology on cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, heart disease, and coronary artery disease) has skyrocketed since the early 1990s. The pathophysiological continuum runs hand-in-hand with the plan and with the clinical continuum. Thus meaning, that this will provide researchers with a description in the progressive process of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, at the molecular level or even the cellular level for these types of diseases (Demarco, Aroor, & Sowers, 2014). Cardiovascular disease also leads to endothelial dysfunction which often leads to a lot of bad health events to happen such as vascular remodeling and inflammation in the target-organ pathology. Factors like hypertension, smoking, drinking alcohol, diabetes,

Coronary Heart Disease affects the circulatory system specifically the heart. Arteries called the coronary arteries surround the heart and provide nutrients and oxygen so the heart can operate. Sometimes cholesterol or fatty deposits build up on the walls of the artery blocking and reducing the amount of blood that can flow through the artery. These obstructions block nutrients and oxygen from getting to the heart’s muscles, which can then weaken the heart’s ability to pump blood or even cause it to completely fail.

Even though you can’t change all your risk factors, there is plenty you can do to reduce your risk and help to protect your heart.

Coronary heart disease(CHD) describes the condition of the coronary arteries obstructing due to fatty material build up called ‘plaque’ or ‘atheroma’(1). Atherosclerosis is the condition of excessive discharge of fatty plaques and nodules within the artery, and in the tissue forming the artery wall(2). Multiple risk factors including abnormal lipids, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, psychosocial factors, and varying consumption of fruit, vegetables and alcohol are thought to increase the probability of developing CHD(3). The three major risk factors are hypertension, smoking and abnormal cholesterol levels (blood lipids)(4). In 2006 CHD accounted for approximately 1 in every 6 deaths in the United States(5). The World Health Organisation has predicted that CHD will be the greatest cause of death and disability by 2020.

Forming plaque reduces the elasticity of the arteries which causes stiffness, breakage of the lining and blockages. This can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke and death.