#biology #coronaryheartdisease

The heart is made of muscle cells that need their own supply of blood to deliver oxygen, glucose and other nutrients and remove carbon dioxide and other waste products

• The blood is supplied by the coronary arteries

• If a coronary artery becomes partially or completely blocked by fatty deposits called ‘plaques’ (mainly formed from cholesterol), the arteries are not as elastic as they should be and therefore cannot stretch to accommodate the blood which is being forced through them - leading to coronary heart disease

• Partial blockage of the coronary arteries creates a restricted blood flow to the cardiac muscle cells and results in severe chest pains called angina

• Complete blockage means cells in that area of the heart will not be able to respire and can no longer contract, leading to a heart attack

Factors

• poor diet

• stress

• smoking

• genetic predisposition

• age

• gender

explanation

1. poor diet - eating more saturated fat increases cholesterol levels , increasing the change of fat building up .

2. stress- when under pressure (stress) hormones can increase blood pressure , increasing the chance in blockage in coronary arteries .

3. smoking - nicotine in cigarettes will cause the blood vessels to become narrower , increasing blood pressure , which will cause the build up of fat globules

4. genetic predisposition - people with the history of heart disease in their family are more likely to develop it themselves

5) Age - the risk of getting coronary heart disease increases as you get older

6) gender - males are more likely to develop coronary heart disease than females

reduce risk of developing coronary heart disease

• quit smoking

• diet - eating more vegetables and stop eating saturated fat foods

• exercise