“Plaque“ might begin to build up where the arteries are damaged. The buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries may start in childhood. Over time, plaque can harden or rupture (break open). Hardened plaque narrows the coronary arteries and reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. This can cause angina (chest pain or discomfort).”

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Coronary artery disease is thought to begin with damage or injury to the inner layer of a coronary artery, sometimes as early as childhood. The damage may be caused by various factors, including the following which are problems we can prevent or better control through better diet, some form of exercise balanced with rest.  Including keeping our stress controlled in a productive way (like work out program to doing hobbies).

Causes that are modifiable (that we can change or help control):

• Smoking-Stop it
• High blood pressure-Lose weight, decrease junk food and sodium in your diet, exercise.  If on B/P meds be compliant in taking them.
• High cholesterol-Eat better food, lose weight, or if on anti-cholesterol meds be compliant in taking them.
• Diabetes or insulin resistance-Lose weight, eat foods=no sugar, and be compliant with your diabetic meds.
• Sedentary lifestyle-Get in an exercise program; stay active.

Causes that are nonmodifiable (that you can’t change):

-Race:  Race refers to common characteristics passed down through the genes. Non-Hispanic whites (63%) have roots in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Blacks (13%) have origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa or Afro-Caribbean countries. Asians (5%) may have ancestors anywhere from India to Japan. This geographic diversity within racial groups means that there are actually greater genetic differences within than between certain groups.

Know this: Rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease vary among people of different backgrounds.

Adults living in the United States are more likely to die from heart disease than any other cause, regardless of their racial or ethnic heritage. But certain minority groups face a greater risk than others. These differences appear to stem from an increased prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity seen in some populations compared with white Americans.

Still, teasing out the reasons isn’t easy. Genetic differences do exist. But diversity within different racial and ethnic groups means that genetic traits common to some groups can’t be generalized to an entire race.

Many intertwined factors likely contribute to the higher heart disease rates seen among some groups. Their lower average incomes affect where they live, which in turn affects their access to healthy food, safe places to exercise, and quality health care. In other words, “your ZIP code is more important than your genetic code,” says Dr. Eldrin Lewis, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

But even after adjustment for factors related to socioeconomic differences, disparities in rates of heart disease and its risk factors persist, Dr. Lewis says. In the United States, nearly half of all black adults have some form of cardiovascular disease, compared with about one-third of all white adults. A genetic difference that predisposes blacks to high blood pressure might play a role.

–Heredity:  A family history of heart disease is associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a close relative developed heart disease at an early age. Your risk is highest if your father or a brother was diagnosed with heart disease before age 55 or if your mother or a sister developed it before age 65.

-Age:Just like a car the older you get the highier the risk of problems with the vehicle and the same with the body. 

-Gender: Men are generally at greater risk of coronary artery disease. However, the risk for women increases after menopause.

Learn more tomorrow on treatment of CAD in Part III!

“Coronary artery disease develops when the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients (coronary arteries) become damaged or diseased=narrowing or blockages of the arteries=decreased blood flow to heart tissue.”

American Heart Association

Coronary artery disease develops when the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients (coronary arteries) become damaged or diseased. Cholesterol-containing deposits (plaque) in your arteries and inflammation are usually to blame for coronary artery disease.

To better understand how CAD operates here is a metaphor like when we drive our car if our transmission is temporarily blocked the engine struggles to operate ( Just like in this disease CAD you get symptoms or no specific symptoms with resulting to struggle to do your activities of daily living)with a temporary block and definitely a complete block).   Ending probem with CAD the you need the blockage resolved so the blood can get 100% oxygen from our lungs (they provide blood oxygen to the red blood cells that provide this nutrient to our tissues to stay alive–without it our body goes through starvation=no oxygen to tissure=pain like angina).  So again as a metaphor using the car, the engine of the body is the heart, the transmission of the body is the lungs (one can’t live without the other) and the kidney system ( that filters our blood removing toxins from it to keep our blood stream cells clean) that would be the oil system of the car.  All the systems have a function that relate to the body in keeping it alive.  If oxygen is deprived long enough or toxins just continue to build up in our body it will die without resolution to getting back to normal or providing some oxygen or removing some toxins of the body like through hemodialysis for exampte.

Signs and Symptoms of CAD:

When plaque builds up, they narrow your coronary arteries, decreasing blood flow to your heart. Eventually, the decreased blood flow may cause symptoms like chest pain (This pain, referred to as angina, usually occurs on the middle or left side of the chest. Angina is generally triggered by physical or emotional stress.  It maybe triggered by stress the cause is lack of oxygen=nutrients to our body).

The symptom shortness of breath– is also caused by lack of oxygen due to this blockage which could be partial or complete in our major blood vessels and there are other coronary artery disease signs and symptoms (which are listed below).

A partial or complete blockage can cause a heart attack.

Because coronary artery disease often develops over decades, you might not notice a problem until you have a significant blockage with or without specific symptoms to even a heart attack. Remember many heart attacks can be silent: that is why at a certain age we should be having a 6mth or yearly check up by a cardiologist (the expert) but if your insurance doesn’t cover a referral than go to your general doctor for a yearly physical or sooner.  But there’s plenty you can do to prevent and treat coronary artery disease. A healthy lifestyle can make a big impact on prevention or even help treating CAD.

Women are somewhat more likely than men are to experience less typical signs and symptoms of a heart attack, such as neck or jaw pain. Sometimes a heart attack occurs without any apparent signs or symptoms.

Learn more about the causes, risks that put you more at causes and risks of CAD tomorrow in Part II!

“Check your car seat before holiday travel. Seventy-three percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly, so check it before you hit the road.Prepare for weather emergencies, if you live in a cold-weather state. Pack extra blankets, food and diapers, in case your car is stuck in snow or disabled. Keep your cell phone charged, make sure someone knows your route, and clear the exhaust of packed snow. ”

safekids.org

The Electrical Safety Foundation states:

1. Inspect electrical decorations for damage before use. 
Cracked or damaged sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections may cause a serious shock or start a fire.

2. Do not overload electrical outlets. 
Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are a common cause of holiday fires. Avoid overloading outlets and plug only one high-wattage into each outlet at a time.

3. Never connect more than three strings of incandescent lights. 
More than three strands may not only blow a fuse, but can also cause a fire.

4. Keep trees fresh by watering daily.
Dry trees are a serious fire hazard.

5. Use battery-operated candles. 
Candles start almost half of home decoration fires (NFPA).

6. Keep combustibles at least three feet from heat sources. 
A heat sources that was too close to the decoration was a factor in half of home fires that began with decorations (NFPA).

7. Protect cords from damage. 
To avoid shock or fire hazards, cords should never be pinched by furniture, forced into small spaces such as doors and windows, placed under rugs, located near heat sources, or attached by nails or staples.

8. Check decorations for certification label.
Decorations not bearing a label from an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or Intertek (ETL) have not been tested for safety and could be hazardous.

9. Stay in the kitchen when something is cooking. 
Unattended cooking equipment is the leading cause of home cooking fires (NFPA).

10. Turn off, unplug, and extinguish all decorations when going to sleep or leaving the house. 
Unattended candles are the cause of one in five home candle fires. Half of home fire deaths occur between the hours of 11pm and 7am (NFPA).

Stay safe on the roads over the holidays and every day:

• Prepare your car for winter and keep an emergency preparedness kit with you
• Get a good night’s sleep before departing and avoid drowsy driving
• Leave early, planning ahead for heavy traffic
• Make sure every person in the vehicle is properly buckled up no matter how long or short the distance traveled
• Put that cell phone away; many distractions occur while driving, but cell phones are the main culprit
• Practice defensive driving
• Designate a sober driver to ensure guests make it home safely after a holiday party; alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs can cause impairment

“The week running up to the Holidays – In the week running up to Christmas, criminals are mainly targeting Auto Dealerships and Warehouses. Criminals target these businesses during their busiest period for the Christmas haul of cash and the valuable stock kept on site. In the week that was leading up to Christmas Day 2016, Netwatch recorded a 33% increase in attempted security breaches, with a third of all activity taking place between the hours of 6pm and 12am.”

netwatchusa.com

“In the United States, December is observed as “Safe Toys and Gifts Month” as a means for alerting us to the need to be careful when making our toy and gift choices, and to prompt us to keep in mind their safety and suitability. Knowing what to look out for can make a big difference in preventing possible injuries from well-intentioned gifts.”.

childfamilyservices.org

“Handwashing can help prevent illness. It involves five simple and effective steps (Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) you can take to reduce the spread of diarrheal and respiratory illness so you can stay healthy. Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it can keep us all from getting sick. Handwashing is a win for everyone, except the germs.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)