Mechanisms
This process starts with fatty deposits adhering to artery walls, gradually narrowing the vessels that supply the heart—ultimately causing CHD.
What is atherosclerosis?
This non-modifiable factor means you’re more likely to develop CHD if a close family member has it, due to shared genes.
What is heredity?
These drugs lower blood cholesterol by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver, slowing plaque growth in CHD.
What are statins?
When this condition is chronic, it forces the heart to pump harder, straining muscle and accelerating plaque buildup in coronary arteries.
What is hypertension (high blood pressure)?
This lifestyle choice raises blood pressure by causing blood vessels to constrict, speeds up heart rate, and boosts cholesterol—tripling CHD risk.
What is smoking?
This procedure uses a balloon-tipped catheter to push plaques against artery walls, then leaves a mesh tube to keep vessels open.
What is angioplasty (with a stent)?
This substance, produced in the liver and found in high-fat diets, combines with other lipids to form artery-narrowing plaques in CHD.
What is cholesterol?
A diet high in this type of fat (found in red meat and processed foods) raises blood cholesterol, a key driver of atherosclerosis.
What is saturated fat?
These medications block adrenaline’s action on the heart, reducing heart rate and strain—relieving angina and preventing second heart attacks.
What are beta blockers?
When atherosclerosis blocks arteries leading to the brain, this complication (linked to CHD and hypertension) causes permanent damage if untreated.
What is a stroke?
This disease, marked by high blood glucose, increases fatty deposits in plaques—making it a major modifiable risk factor for CHD.
What is diabetes?
For end-stage CHD, this surgery replaces a failing heart with a donor organ that has closely matched surface antigens to avoid rejection.
What is a heart transplant?
This hormone, converted from angiotensin I by ACE, constricts blood vessels to raise pressure—making it a target for hypertension drugs.
What is angiotensin II?
Hormones released during this state narrow blood vessels and raise blood pressure, contributing to both CHD and hypertension over time.
What is stress?
These drugs treat hypertension by stopping the production of a blood vessel-constricting hormone, keeping arteries relaxed.
What are ACE inhibitors?