Coronary Heart Disease

What is coronary heart disease?   Coronary heart disease begins when your coronary arteries get narrowed by a gradual build-up of fatty material within their walls. These arteries supply your heart muscle with blood. Over time, your coronary arteries may become so narrow that they can’t deliver enough blood to your heart. This can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest tightness or discomfort (angina).   If a piece of the fatty material in your arteries breaks away then a blood clot will form. A heart attack happens when a blood clot blocks one of your coronary arteries, cutting off the blood supply to your heart muscle.   What increases your risk of heart disease?   A risk factor is something that increases your chances of getting a disease. There are many risk factors for coronary heart disease. Some risk factors you can’t control. These include:   ·                     your ethnic background ·                     a history of heart disease in your family ·                     your age ·                     your gender   Talk to your GP if you are worried about any of these. They can help you identify the changes you need to make and where to start. Some risk factors you can control, such as:   ·         smoking ·                     not eating a healthy diet ·                     being overweight or obese ·                     high blood pressure ·                     high blood cholesterol ·                     not being physically active ·                     drinking too much alcohol ·                     diabetes

In the next few weeks we’re be talking about the risk factors for heart disease you can control and the simple changes you can make to your lifestyle to help reduce your risk