Coronary Artery Disease

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Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common types of heart diseases. In the United States, CAD is the leading cause of death in both men and women. The disease occurs when a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary artery. The coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscles. Both of my grandfathers suffer from coronary artery disease and I want to learn more about the disease to better understand how it affects them both mentally and physically.

Although coronary artery disease does not have a specific who, what, or when it is said to have been discovered in the 13th century. Leonardo Di Vinci was alleged to have looked into coronary arteries. William Harvey in the 16th century was also credited to have discovered how the blood moves throughout the body. It was not until the 19th century when doctors and researchers started to redirect their attention to coronary arteries. Near the end of this century researchers realized the blockage of arteries in a dog caused theirs ventricle to "quiver" and kill them in a short amount of time. In 1878, Ludwig Hektoen theorized that some diseases were a result of coronary artery disease such as myocardial infraction. Until the mid-1900s researchers were not positive on what coronary artery disease actually was. Over the past 60 years a vast amount of data has been discovered. Recently, an Egyptian princess that lived more than 3,500 years ago that died from coronary artery disease was discovered by scientists in 2011.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the number one killer in America, affecting more than 13 million people. CAD occurs when a fatty substance called plaque builds up in the coronary arteries. These arteries disperse oxygen-ric...

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...oblems and keeping up a healthy lifestyle. With heart disease being the number one killer in both men and women there are many support groups and organizations funding researches to find cures. Some patients have to give up working or physical activities due to the heart not being able to handle it. CHD sufferers generally have to give up alcohol which can cut back on people's social life. These outcomes of having CHD usually take a toll of people both mentally and physically, but with the help of family and friends most sufferers fight through it.

Works Cited

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/causes.html

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/treatment.html

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/prevention.html

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/livingwith.html

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