CHD – Causes
Causes of CHD
The heart itself is an organ that pumps blood around the body . In order for the heart to do its job it requires nutrition and energy. This is obtained from arteries that are called coronary arteries. For your reference arteries are blood vessels that carry food and oxygen around the body CHD is caused when the coronary arteries start to narrow because of fatty substances which stick to the insides of these blood vessels. The build up of these substances is called Atherosclerosis. The continued build up of these fatty deposits in a particular location results in the formation of an atheroma.
So the question is what causes Atherosclerosis?
Although genetics may be involved a key driver for the build up of fatty deposits is due to the lifestyles we have and other health conditions. These include:
- Smoking
- Raised Cholesterol levels
- Hypertension
- Diabetes