Risk Factors of

CAD

Tobacco Use
Diet
Physical Inactivity
Obesity
Alcohol
High LDL cholesterol
Low HDL cholesterol
Family history
Diabetes
Post-menopausal for
women
+45 years older for
men
Those are all risk factors,
which you can prevent.
Staying away from things
that are bad for you, for
instance tobacco, could be
one of the main differences
in developing CAD and not
developing CAD.
Living a healthy lifestyle
filled with plenty of
physical activity and the
proper diet, you can stop
CAD in its tracks.
What is heart disease?
Heart Disease is not one
particular disease, it actually
refers to several types of heart
conditions. The most common
type of heart disease in the
United States is called
coronary artery disease. This
type of heart disease can
cause heart attack, heart
failure and angina.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease
occurs when a substance
called plaque builds up in the
arteries that supply blood to
heart. Plaque is made up of
cholesterol deposits, which
over time can build up in your
arteries and cause them to
narrow. The narrowing of
your arteries is called
atherosclerosis. Angina is the
buildup of plaque; this is the
most common symptom of
Coronary Artery Disease.
Over time, Coronary Artery
Disease will weaken the heart
muscle; this will lead to heart
failure. Heart failure is a
serious condition in which the
heart cant pump blood the
way that it should. This can
result in an irregular
heartbeat. Plaque grows
first in the coronary arteries
until the blood flow to the
heart is limited. This is
defined as ischemia.
Ischemia may be chronic or
acute. If ischemia is chronic
its caused by the narrowing
of the coronary artery and
limiting the blood supply to
part of the muscle (heart). If
ischemia is acute, the plaque
can rupture and cause
further damage.
Have a Healthy Heart
4/1/14 Edition 1, Volume 1

Heart disease is o laughing matter. After my
father suffered a massive heart attack, I realized
how serious heart disease can be.
Ways to Reduce Risk
Factors
1. Dont Smoke
Cigarette smoking
remains the leading
preventable cause of
cardiovascular disease.
The risk of cardiovascular
disease begins to decline
within months of
cessation and reaches the
level of people who have
never smoked within 3-5
years.
2. Lower Your
Cholesterol
High blood cholesterol is a
condition that greatly
increases developing
coronary heart disease.
Access cholesterol in the
blood settles on the walls
of your arteries, which
allows less blood to pass
through them to your
heart.
3. Maintain A Healthy
Weight
Being overweight/obese
along with having a
sedentary lifestyle
increase the risk of
cardiovascular disease.
One third of adults are
classified as obese.
4. Exercise Regularly
60% of both men and
women get no regular
physical activity. Recent
studies suggest that even
moderate intensity activity,
for instance walking, can
help with the reduction of
cardiovascular disease.

5. Avoid Trans Fats
Trans fatty acids have
been linked to adverse
lipid profiles as well as
increased risks of
cardiovascular disease.
Trans fatty acids include
most margarines/butter.
6. Stress Management
Tools
People handle stress in
different ways. Poorly
controlling your stress
could result in an
increased risk of
cardiovascular disease.
An attitude of hospitality
has been powerfully
linked with a higher
incidence of cardiac events,
and cynical distrust has
been associated with
accelerated progression of
cardiovascular disease.
Relaxation methods such
as meditation, breathing
exercises, yoga and
stretching are techniques
used to reduce the risk of
disease.

Aerobic Exercise-
cardio, running
jogging, and biking
are some
examples. Youre
moving fast
enough to raise
your heart rate.
Stretching- Taking
a couple minutes
out of your day to
stretch will
increase flexibility.
Stretch in order to
warm up before a
work out and
stretch to cool
down after a
workout.
Strength training-
Free weights,
Dumbbells and
resistance bands
are a couple
examples. Perform
strength training 2-
3 times per week,
allowing your
body to recover in
between workouts.
Exercises to
have a
healthy heart