Coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) also called coronary artery disease, remains the most common cause of death worldwide and generates a large economic burden.

Previous studies have shown that the largest portion of this reduction in CHD burden can be attributed to improvements in modifiable lifestyle and dietary risk factors.

CHD is affecting the coronary arteries, which are supplying oxygenated blood to the cardiac muscle. CHD encompasses atherosclerotic plaques within the coronary arteries, resulting in the stenosis of the artery.

Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Plaque buildup causes the inside of the arteries to narrow over time.

Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.

Stenosis and reduced blood supply via any of these arterial segments may have harmful effects on the cardiac muscle and lead to a myocardial infarction.

Modification of risk factors has been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity in people with diagnosed or undiagnosed cardiovascular disease. The risk factors of CHD have been divided into non-modifiable and modifiable. The non-modifiable risk factors include: age, male sex, and family history which cannot be altered.

The modifiable risk factors which can be altered by medical and lifestyle interventions are: elevated levels of blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, physical inactivity, diabetes, overweight, obesity, low socioeconomic position and tobacco smoking.

There are three main types of coronary heart disease: obstructive coronary artery disease, nonobstructive coronary artery disease, and coronary microvascular disease.
Coronary heart disease

What is high blood cholesterol?

Chemically, cholesterol is a fatlike compound – actually an alcohol – in which in its pure form appears as pearly flakes.

A high blood cholesterol level means that the person has more cholesterol in the bloodstream than the body needs.

A high level of cholesterol in the bloodstream is recognized as a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and is therefore also a risk factor for coronary artery disease.

In atherosclerosis, which deposits of cholesterol and other lipids, along with cellular reactions, thicken artery walls. This process gradually reduces the caliber of the artery and restricts blood flow.

In adequate blood flow may cause injury to or death of tissue beyond the site of reduced flow. In the coronary arteries, this leads to myocardial infarction or sudden death.

In general, the causes of high blood cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia, can be regroup into two major categories:
*Life style factors
*Genetic factors

Lifestyles factors that can contribute to high blood cholesterol include; obesity, lack of physical activity or exercise and consuming an unhealthy diet that contains excessive cholesterol.

The principal nutritional factors identified with high blood cholesterol and the development of coronary heart disease are dietary fat, approximately saturated fatty acids and cholesterol and energy imbalance leading to obesity.
What is high blood cholesterol?