Causes of Heart Disease
Heart disease or coronary heart disease (CHD) is mainly caused by Atherosclerosis. This occurs when the inner lining of your artery walls becomes furred with a thick, atheroma which is made up of fatty …show more content…
You are also more likely to have silent ischemia because diabetes can affect the nerves which send pain messages.
The build up of cholesterol is a major contributor to atherosclerosis which in turn is a major cause of heart disease. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance made by your liver. It is also present in some foods such as animal fats, eggs and shellfish. Your body needs some cholesterol to produce hormones, to produce the bile needed to digest fat. Cholesterol travels around your bloodstream in special proteins called lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins. Low density lipoproteins or LDL also known as 'bad cholesterol' which carries cholesterol to your body's cells. High density lipoproteins or HDL also known as 'good cholesterol' which helps clear excess cholesterol from your arteries and carries it back to your liver to be destroyed.
If you have high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL you are more at risk of heart disease as you are more likely to develop atherosclerosis. You are likely to have high levels of LDL if you eat a diet that is high in saturated fats, you have chronic kidney failure and are a heavy …show more content…
If your blood pressure is too high then it can damage the artery walls which can cause atherosclerosis. The pressure of blood travelling in the arteries is determined by how hard your heart works and the health of your blood vessels. You are more at risk of developing high blood pressure if, you have a family history of the condition, you are overweight, you drink heavily, you eat a salty diet, you are under stress or have anxiety, you have kidney disease and you are black African or African-Caribbean. Therefore these factors also affect the likelihood of developing heart disease.
Smoking increases the risk of developing heart disease. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, nicotine triggers the release of the stress hormone adrenalin, which raises your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing your heart's need for oxygen. Carbon monoxide, found in tobacco smoke, displaces oxygen from your bloodstream - depriving your heart of oxygen.
Other chemicals in cigarette smoke trigger the release of free radicals, the harmful molecules which are involved in the development of
Heart disease or coronary heart disease (CHD) is mainly caused by Atherosclerosis. This occurs when the inner lining of your artery walls becomes furred with a thick, atheroma which is made up of fatty …show more content…
You are also more likely to have silent ischemia because diabetes can affect the nerves which send pain messages.
The build up of cholesterol is a major contributor to atherosclerosis which in turn is a major cause of heart disease. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance made by your liver. It is also present in some foods such as animal fats, eggs and shellfish. Your body needs some cholesterol to produce hormones, to produce the bile needed to digest fat. Cholesterol travels around your bloodstream in special proteins called lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins. Low density lipoproteins or LDL also known as 'bad cholesterol' which carries cholesterol to your body's cells. High density lipoproteins or HDL also known as 'good cholesterol' which helps clear excess cholesterol from your arteries and carries it back to your liver to be destroyed.
If you have high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL you are more at risk of heart disease as you are more likely to develop atherosclerosis. You are likely to have high levels of LDL if you eat a diet that is high in saturated fats, you have chronic kidney failure and are a heavy …show more content…
If your blood pressure is too high then it can damage the artery walls which can cause atherosclerosis. The pressure of blood travelling in the arteries is determined by how hard your heart works and the health of your blood vessels. You are more at risk of developing high blood pressure if, you have a family history of the condition, you are overweight, you drink heavily, you eat a salty diet, you are under stress or have anxiety, you have kidney disease and you are black African or African-Caribbean. Therefore these factors also affect the likelihood of developing heart disease.
Smoking increases the risk of developing heart disease. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, nicotine triggers the release of the stress hormone adrenalin, which raises your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing your heart's need for oxygen. Carbon monoxide, found in tobacco smoke, displaces oxygen from your bloodstream - depriving your heart of oxygen.
Other chemicals in cigarette smoke trigger the release of free radicals, the harmful molecules which are involved in the development of