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What
is Conorary Heart Disease?
Coronary
heart disease results from the coronary arteries
becoming narrowed with fatty deposits on the inside
wall. This narrowing reduces flow of blood to
the heart and increases the chances of a blood
clot blocking the artery, resulting in a heart
attack.
How
Does it affect people
As
the coronary arteries narrow, patients will often
experience chest pain or tightness, known as angina.
This pain may spread to the left shoulder or arm,
or to the neck and jaw. The pain can occur at
times of exercise, stress, or strain, particularly
in cold weather.
What
are the causes?
Certain
factors are linked with the development of coronary
heart disease. The main factors that increase the
risk of developing coronary heart disease are listed
below. They are divided into two categories, depending
on whether you can change them.
Things you can change: cholesterol, smoking,
high blood pressure, stress, lack of exercise,
excessive alcohol intake, diabetes, and being
overweight.
Things you cannot change: family history of
coronary heart disease, sex, and age.
Of the risk factors that you can control, high
blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking
are three of the most important.
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