Patient Education: Heart Disease

Your heart is a muscle that acts as a pump. After receiving oxygen from the arteries wrapped around the surface of the heart, your heart will pump blood throughout your body. If this oxygen flow becomes limited or blocked, you could then have a heart attack or a stroke.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is caused by the build-up of fatty substances, such as cholesterol, fat or cells that collect along the lining of the coronary arteries. Most of the build-up, in either the heart or the blood vessels, develops over the course of time. This build-up is called plaque. Because your arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart, any blockages that are left untreated can result in the risk of you experiencing a heart attack, stroke or even death.

The patients most likely to develop heart disease have the following risk factors:

• High blood pressure
• A close relative with heart disease
• High cholesterol and/or high triglycerides
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Overweight
• No regular exercise program

(For additional information on Heart and Blood Vessel Conditions, click here )

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How is heart disease diagnosed?

If you have risk factors that would cause you to develop heart disease or you have experienced symptoms, your doctor may recommend that you have an exercise stress test, an electrocardiogram (EKG), chest X-ray and blood tests. The results of these tests may indicate that you need further testing.

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How can I prevent or slow the progression of heart disease?

You can help prevent or slow down heart disease by adhering to the following regimen:

• Stop Smoking
• Lower your blood pressure
• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise; be physically active
• Have regular medical check-ups

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What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a substance that is found in your body and in animal sources. It is found in the bloodstream and body cells of humans. It does serve a purpose, but too much cholesterol in your system is not healthy. It can also be a risk factor for heart disease.

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How can I lower my cholesterol level?

Your liver is responsible for producing the cholesterol made in your body. Cholesterol is also found in foods that come from animal sources. This could include meats, poultry, seafood and dairy products. You can lower your cholesterol by eating more fish, fruits, vegetables and grains. You can also lower your cholesterol by reducing the level of fats in your dairy products (using skim or 1% milk), and by choosing leaner cuts of meat.

You can also adopt an exercise program, which has been shown to help increase the HDL (good cholesterol) and losing excess weight.