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Like any muscle, the heart needs a
constant supply of oxygen and nutrients that are carried to it by the
blood in the coronary arteries. When the coronary arteries become
narrowed or clogged and cannot supply enough blood to the heart, the
result is coronary heart disease.
If not enough oxygen-carrying blood
reaches the heart, the heart may respond with pain called angina. When
the blood supply is cut off completely, the result is a heart attack.
The part of the heart that does not receive oxygen begins to die, and
some of the heart muscle may be permanently damaged.
Who is at risk for Coronary Heart
Disease?
Risk factors are conditions that
increase your risk of developing heart disease. Some can be changed
and some cannot. Although these factors each increase the risk
of coronary heart disease, they do not describe all the causes of
coronary heart disease; even with none of these risk factors, you
might still develop coronary heart disease.
Risk factors that can be controlled:
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High blood pressure |
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High cholesterol |
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Smoking |
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Obesity |
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Physical
inactivity |
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Diabetes |
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Stress* |
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* Although stress may
increase your risk for coronary heart disease, it hasn't been
scientifically proven. |
Risk factors that can't be
controlled: family history of heart disease.
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