Monthly Archives: September 2020

Coronary Artery Disease: Lifestyle Management

Intro

You might have heard of Coronary Artery Disease before due to the fact that it is the most common form of heart disease in the United States (Regmi & Siccardi, 2020).  Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), is when there is a buildup of plaque located along the inside of the arterial vessel walls specifically in the heart. You may also hear the term atherosclerosis when reviewing CAD. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque inside of the arterial vessels anywhere in the body. There is no current cure for CAD or atherosclerosis only medical intervention and prevention. Early lifestyle modifications are essential in preventing and or worsening CAD.

Why is CAD bad for My Health?

Since there is a buildup of plaque, which is made up of cholesterols and fat, there is decreased blood flow where the plaque is located. If the plaque buildup is significant in size, it can potentially cause an occlusion. Depending on where the plaque buildup is located in the coronary artery, there can be minimal or moderate ischemia. Ischemia is a lack of blood flow to tissues. Decreased blood flow to cardiac tissues can lead to heart attack.

Symptoms

  • Chest pain
  • Weakness
  • Nausea
  • Referred pain to shoulder or arm
  • Shortness of breath

Risk Factors for CAD

  • Smoking
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • High saturated fat/salt diet
  • Diabetes
  • Family History
  • Male
  • Age greater than 50

Lifestyle Modifications for Prevention of CAD

According to Karjalainen et al., (2015), there was a greater effect when exercise and diet modification were both put into place, rather than just exercise alone. The Mediterranean Diet was recommended for people who have any type of heart disease. In another study with Stewart et al. (2016), maintaining a mediterranean diet showed a decrease in cardiovascular events rather than following a low fat diet. Their study showed that increasing the amount of daily fruit and vegetable consumption decreased the cardiovascular events in the participants. Cessation of smoking is recommended to decrease the risk of CAD. Smoking can damage the inside of vessel walls making them more susceptible to plaque buildup. Maintaining a healthy blood sugar also can help decrease the risk of CAD.

More information on the Mediterranean Diet can be found here: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149090

Additional Resources

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/coronary_ad.htm

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronary-artery-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350613

References

British Heart Foundation. (2015, December 3). Coronary heart disease, clogged arteries and atherosclerosis[Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6QJceOAVY0

Karjalainen, J., Kiviniemi, A., Hautala, A., Piira, O., Lepojärvi, .E, Perkiomaki, J., Junttila, J., Huikuri, H., & Tulppo, M. (2015). Effects of physical activity and exercise training on cardiovascular risk in coronary artery disease patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 38(1), 706-715. DOI: 10.2337/dc14-2216

Khan Academy Medicine. (2014, October). Risk factors for coronary artery disease | Circulatory System and Disease | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrXJsf9x_sY

Regmi, M., & Siccardi, M. (2020, January). Coronary Artery Disease Prevention. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547760/

Stewart, R., Wallentin, L., Benatar, J.,  Danchin, N., Hagström, E., Held, C., Husted, S., Lonn, E., Stebbins, A., Chiswell, K., Vedin, O., Watson, D., & White, H. (2016). Dietary patterns and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in a global study of high-risk patients with stable coronary heart disease. European Heart Journal, 37(25), 1993-2001, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehw125