Human development can be defined as changes in the interactions between an individual and their environment across the lifespan. Development begins when a zygote is formed in utero and continues throughout the remainder of an individual‟s life. There are many factors that can affect healthy development, but perhaps none is so devastating in the United States of America as cardiovascular disease (see Appendix A). The term cardiovascular disease refers to a variety of ailments that affect the heart as well as all of the blood vessels in the body. Atherosclerosis is one of these ailments, and is caused by a buildup of plaque in a person‟s arteries; this buildup can accumulate to the point that a clot forms and clogs the artery completely, leading
