Cardiovascular disease, also known as CVD, is a killer that does not discriminate and affects people around the globe. “CVD is the most common cause of death worldwide, with 30% of all deaths attributed to the disease (World Health Organization (WHO) 2013” (Walker, 2013). Cardiovascular disease has a vast array of issues related to it as well as many risk factors; nevertheless, with positive behavioral changes many of these risk factors can be reduced, thus creating physiological changes. The cardiovascular system is a complex system made up of the heart and the many blood vessels throughout the body. It is an essential system for stability and maintaining homeostasis, supplying every region of the body with just the right amount of blood
…show more content…
However, there are strategies to help prevent the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A key risk factor that we have the ability to modify is cholesterol (Casey, 2011). Cholesterol is an essential part of the body and is made up of high density lipoprotein (HDL) also known as “good” cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) “bad” cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for bodily function and yet too much can clog arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease. Casey states that elevated LDL and decreased HDL can be associated with the development of atheromas or lesions in large and medium-sized arteries (Casey, 2011), thus restricting blood flow through the body and to the heart. This restriction of blood flow can then lead to another risk factor of high blood pressure also known as …show more content…
During this time period the heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through the body and can put major strain on the heart, which is a key contributor to heart attack and stroke (Harvard Heart, 2011). According to the CEPP, “up to 70% of cases of essential hypertension may be attributed, in part, to obesity” (James, 2012) which is another risk factor related to cardiovascular disease. Obesity can be programmed in early life and the development of obesity can be traced to the stages of pregnancy. This maternal obesity may induce changes in fetal growth, predisposing individuals to develop obesity (James, 2012), allowing them to be at greater risk for obesity in adolescence and adulthood. According to the DARIOS study both hypertension and diabetes
CARDIOVASCULAR 4 were associated with general and abdominal obesity (Daniel, 2013). This excess weight increases the heart’s work and has a wraparound affect to high blood pressure and problems controlling cholesterol. As mentioned above maternal obesity has a 36% higher risk of offspring developing Type 2 diabetes as well (James, 2012), which leads us to the diabetes risk
However, there are strategies to help prevent the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A key risk factor that we have the ability to modify is cholesterol (Casey, 2011). Cholesterol is an essential part of the body and is made up of high density lipoprotein (HDL) also known as “good” cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) “bad” cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for bodily function and yet too much can clog arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease. Casey states that elevated LDL and decreased HDL can be associated with the development of atheromas or lesions in large and medium-sized arteries (Casey, 2011), thus restricting blood flow through the body and to the heart. This restriction of blood flow can then lead to another risk factor of high blood pressure also known as …show more content…
During this time period the heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through the body and can put major strain on the heart, which is a key contributor to heart attack and stroke (Harvard Heart, 2011). According to the CEPP, “up to 70% of cases of essential hypertension may be attributed, in part, to obesity” (James, 2012) which is another risk factor related to cardiovascular disease. Obesity can be programmed in early life and the development of obesity can be traced to the stages of pregnancy. This maternal obesity may induce changes in fetal growth, predisposing individuals to develop obesity (James, 2012), allowing them to be at greater risk for obesity in adolescence and adulthood. According to the DARIOS study both hypertension and diabetes
CARDIOVASCULAR 4 were associated with general and abdominal obesity (Daniel, 2013). This excess weight increases the heart’s work and has a wraparound affect to high blood pressure and problems controlling cholesterol. As mentioned above maternal obesity has a 36% higher risk of offspring developing Type 2 diabetes as well (James, 2012), which leads us to the diabetes risk