Coronary artery disease has now become a very generic disease. Factors such as the age of a person, genetics, health status as well as lifestyle choices have an effect on the health of the heart arteries.
Some of the common coronary artery disease risk factors are given below –
- Having a family history of heart disease – People are more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease if a family member or relative had also developed heart disease at an early age.
- Smokers – People who have been long-time smokers have a high risk of heart disease.
- Having high blood pressure – Uncontrolled high blood pressure cause arteries to harden and become narrow, which slows down blood flow.
- Obesity – Obesity may result in type 2 diabetes as well as high blood pressure which puts a person at high risk of getting coronary artery disease.
- Kidney disease – A person suffering from long-term kidney disease is also at a high risk of coronary artery disease.
- Not physical activity – A lack of physical exercise is connected to coronary artery disease and a few of its risk factors.
- A stressful lifestyle – Stress often leads to damaged arteries and can even worsen the other risk factors for coronary artery disease.
- Sleep Deprivation – Too little as well as too much sleep has been connected to an increased risk of heart disease.
- High cholesterol levels – The presence of bad cholesterol in the body will increase the risk of coronary artery disease.
- Diabetes – Type 2 Diabetes also increases the risk of coronary artery disease. Diabetes and heart disease have common risk factors like obesity and high blood pressure.
- Unhealthy eating habits – Eating foods containing saturated and trans fats, lots of salt and sugar can build the risk of getting coronary artery disease.
- Age of the patient – Old age tends to increase the risk of narrowed arteries.
- Gender – Men have a higher risk of getting affected by coronary artery disease. The risk for women usually increases after menopause.
- Alcohol consumption – Heavy alcohol consumption may lead to damage of heart muscles.
It is often seen that symptoms can go unnoticed in the beginning, or they can show only when the heartbeat is fast while doing a physical activity. With the continuing narrowing of the coronary arteries, there is less blood flow to the heart and symptoms may be more severe or regular. The symptoms and indicators of coronary artery disease are given here-
- Chest pain – A person may feel some rigidity or tension in the chest area. The chest will pain on the middle or left side usually. The pain may disappear in some time. In some cases, the pain may be brief and sharp and it can be felt in the neck, arm or the back.
- Shortness of breath – A person may find it difficult to breath.
- Fatigue – If the heart can’t pump enough blood, it leads to extreme tiredness in a person.
- Heart attack – Totally blocked coronary arteries are the cause of heart attacks in people. The signs and symptoms of a heart attack are intense pain or pressure in the chest, shoulder or arm, breath shortness and sweating. It should be noted that in some cases, heart attacks don’t cause any noticeable signs or symptoms.
Screening for disease
There are a wide variety of tests available for screening for disease. Screening tests are performed for people who don’t look or feel sick. They are helpful in detecting the diseases at an initial stage, before you can notice any signs and symptoms. The disease can be managed and treated in an effective way if detected in the early stages. It can lead to better health outcomes as compared when it is treated at a later stage. Screening for disease are a preventive measure for determining as well as influencing the risk factors, or detecting and treating any kind of abnormal changes that can develop into a disease in the future.
Takeaway
There are several risk factors for coronary artery disease. The risk factors are high BP and blood cholesterol levels, diabetes, lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, obesity, smoking and stress. Some of the risk factors which cannot be controlled are age, gender, family history, etc.