Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Once developed, it typically lasts a lifetime. If uncontrolled, it can lead to heart and kidney diseases, and stroke. When a person has high blood pressure (hypertension), the heart has to pump harder and the arteries are under increased pressure, which can lead to injury of the artery walls, thus resulting into Coronary heart disease. Next to diet other important independent risk factor is smoking. Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for coronary heart disease. There is no clear evidence for links between smoking and lung cancer. Many smokers die of coronary heart disease and stroke. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, an addictive stimulant. Nicotine and carbon monoxide speed up the development of plaques, which then increases the chances of both the development of atherosclerosis and blood clotting. They also stimulate the production of one of the blood clotting factors i.e. fibrinogen and it reduces the production of certain enzymes that removes clots. Apart from this, Nicotine also increases blood pressure and heart rate. The increase in blood pressure increases the concentration of cholesterol on the blood. Passive smoking is also believed to be responsible for many deaths from cardiovascular disease. Exposure to other people's smoke increases the risk of heart disease even for non-smokers.
Other risk factors apart from diet, smoking and high blood pressure are diabetes, heredity, age, gender and ethnicity. Diabetes is a life long disease in which sugar (glucose) remains in the blood rather than entering in the body’s cell to be used for energy. People who have diabetes are at increased risk for many serious heart problems, including hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis). About three-quarters of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. Researchers have identified more than 250 genes that may play a role in Coronary heart disease. The genetic mutation leads to heart disease by causing high blood pressure, high blood levels of "bad cholesterol" and diabetes, all risk factors for heart disease. Children of parents with heart disease, who carried the mutation died in their early fifties from coronary artery disease that resulted in heart attacks and heart failure. Persons with effects of Coronary heart disease often have siblings, parents and even spouses who also have Coronary heart disease. Most people with a strong family history of heart disease have one or more other risk factors. Age is another factor causing Coronary heart disease. The risk of coronary atherosclerosis increases with age, but evidence suggests that the condition may start to develop very early in life. About four out of five people who die of coronary heart disease are age 65 or older. Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women do, and they have attacks earlier in life. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is markedly more common in men than in women. In both sexes, Coronary heart disease risk increases with age, but the increase is sharper in women. Men traditionally have a higher prevalence of Coronary heart disease. Women, however, follow men by 10 years. Some seven million Americans suffer from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S. Each year, more than 500,000 Americans die of heart attacks caused by CHD. African Americans have the highest overall coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rate of any ethnic group. African Americans have more severe high blood pressure than Caucasians and a higher risk of heart disease. Heart disease risk is also higher among Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans. This is partly due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes. Coronary heart disease has become the leading cause of death in Argentina, Cuba, Chile, Uruguay and Trinidad and Tobago. The incidence of this disease is highest among certain ethnic origin groups including south Asians. Inhabitants of France and the Mediterranean region appear to have a lower incidence of CHD. Eskimos have been found to have a lower rate of CHD as a result of consuming fish oils containing omega-3 fatty acids.
Obesity and physical inactivity are other factors that can lead to CHD. Regular exercise, good nutrition, and less smoking are key to controlling the risk factors for CHD. People who have excess body fat - especially if a lot of it is in the waist area - are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the strain on the heart, raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol. It can also make diabetes more likely to develop. Many obese and overweight people may have difficulty losing weight. But by losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk. Exercise is one of the best ways to help maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise helps in maintaining a healthy heart. Individual response to stress may be a contributing factor. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person's life. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. It can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases. A person who has all three main risk factors, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking, is eight times more likely to develop heart disease than someone who has none.
As there are many factors affecting Coronary heart disease (CHD), we cannot say that diet is the only cause of Coronary heart disease. But we can say that diet is the main cause of Coronary heart disease among all other factors. Different factors have their own effect on our body. Many factors causing Coronary heart disease like obesity, diabetes, hypertension etc are indirectly related to diet. An individual can have control on his own diet, quit smoking but certain factors like ethnic origin, inheritance are inevitable. Regular exercise and proper intake of diet can help us to avoid such heart diseases.
