Cardiovascular Disease
About
Cardiovascular Disease
(Atherosclerosis)
Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death.
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body.
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Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body.
Atherosclerosis is thought to develop when an injury occurs to the endothelial (inside) lining along the artery wall. In response to the injury, white blood cells, along with lipids, begin to accumulate along the inner layer of the artery.
If the plaque is disturbed, platelets may begin to accumulate at the site and form a thrombus or clot. A clot can continue to grow until it completely blocks an artery, cutting off the oxygen supply to a vital organ. Or a clot can break free from the vessel wall (become an embolus). Then become lodged somewhere else further downstream. This could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Causes and Symptoms
Genetic predisposition and other risk factors for developing atherosclerotic plaques include high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, heavy metals, diabetes and the use of birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy.
How we can help?
If you have a problem with your heart you must be referred to a cardiologist first.
For many of us, decreasing the chances of developing heart disease depends largely on our lifestyle. Which means there’s a great possibility to improve our odds of living longer and being healthy. After we reduce the heart disease risk factors.
Sydney Holistic & Cosmetic Medicine investigate any possible risk factors, eating habits, lifestyle and potential nutritional deficiencies.