Heart Disease, health and symptoms

Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases which affect the heart and is the leading cause of health related deaths in the United States as of 2007. High cholesterol may lead to high blood pressure in men.

Coronary artery disease also known as CAD is the most common type of heart disease and even more common in older people and males. Males have a higher risk of developing Coronary artery disease. More than half of healthy 40 year old males will develop CAD in the future, and one in three healthy women of the same age.

Artery coronary disease or hardening of the arteries occurs when the blood clotting system start limiting blood flow to the heart muscle. The arterial system functions like water in pipes. They carry blood away from the heart with high pressure and if an artery is completely clogged (blocked), a heart attack occurs. There is no single cause of the disease and it's not congenital. It consists of numerous factors that increase the risk of developing the condition. Prevention can only be achieved by knowing the risk factors. The symptoms generally occur four to six months to one week before the actual heart attack.

The main risk factors consist of:

Age
Genetics. History of heart disease in the family.
Smoking
High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher)
Diabetes. Has been known to cause hardening of the arteries. A low-fat diet is important for maintaining a normal healthy blood sugar.
Low HDL cholesterol
High LDL cholesterol

Lower risk factors consists of:

Obesity. Being overweight makes the heart work harder.
Physical inactivity. The body and blood needs exercise.
Emotional stress
Depression
Alcohol consumption

Symptoms that indicates that you might be suffering from artery coronary disease

The feeling of pressure or something heavy against the chest
Burning sensation
Crushing or squeezing sensation
Feeling of tightness
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Lightheadness
Nausea
Gradual increase in intensity followed by gradual fading away

Coronary artery disease and blockage of artery can be avoided by exercise and following a healthy low-fat diet for lowered risks.

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