Causes Of Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a prominent cause of death for all ages in the United States. In general, there is a buildup of plaque inside the coronary arteries. CAD is described as a complex chronic inflammatory disease, regarded as plaque accumulation resulting in reduction of oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart (Sayols-Baixeras, Lluis-Ganella, Lucas, & Elosua, 2014). “Plaque is made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances in the artery” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). The arteries become either hardened or narrowed and can eventually rupture. Over time, this could lead to a heart attack, other serious problems, or even death. Like with most diseases, many of the risk factors of the disease can be prevented.
Cholesterol and fatty deposits can cause an obstruction of the coronary arteries, which can restrict blood supply to the heart. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, factors that “damage the inner layers of the coronary arteries include smoking, high levels of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure, high levels of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes, and blood vessel inflammation” (2015). Factors that cause atherosclerosis are broken into modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors which will be discussed more in
Atherosclerosis is defined as “a silent progressive chronic process characterized by accumulation of lipids, fibrous elements and inflammatory molecules in the walls of the large arteries (Sayols-Baixeras, Lluis-Ganella, Lucas, & Elosua, 2014). Plaque build-up begins during adolescence and accumulates over many years. Genetic and environmental factors which aid in development atherosclerosis are age, sex, family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, smoking, genetics, small LDL particles, elevated serum homocysteine, elevated serum lipoprotein (a), prothrombotic factors and inflammatory factors (Sayols-Baixeras, Lluis-Ganella, Lucas, & Elosua, 2014). Risk factors that aid in the development of atherosclerosis are categorized by modifiable, and nonmodifiable. Age, gender, and family history are nonmodifiable risk factors. Modifiable risk factors include physical activity, lifestyle diet, staying tobacco free, maintaining cholesterol levels, stress management and managing blood pressure. Smoking is one of the most important modifiable risk factors because it damages the endothelium layer of blood vessels and by causing an increase in coagulation. According to Schub and March, “cigarette smoking is associated with a 2-to 3-fold increase in risk of CAD-related death” (2016). Physical activity has shown to have a positive effect on reducing the