Eating high fat foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle is a disaster for your arteries. And when you add that to a stressful job, your chances for heart disease skyrocket. Risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) include:
A - Age: Men older than 45. Women older than 55.
B - Blood pressure: 140/90 or greater.
C - Cigarette smoking: More than 4 cigarettes a day.
D - Diabetes: Type I (juvenile) or type II (adult).
E - Elevated Cholesterol: LDL greater than 160. HDL less than 35.
F - Family History of CAD. Premature cardiovascular disease.
G - Gross Inactivity. If you exercise less than twice a week.
Your body was not designed to sit for long periods. Sitting places pressure on your back. Especially if you are not conscious of your posture.
You sit all day long. You sit in your car, at your desk,at lunch, dinner, and after dinner on your favorite recliner.
If you must travel, bring along your SportCord. You can use it in the car, your hotel room, or in your playroom with your kids.
Nearly 1 million Americans die each year from cardiovascular disease. Americans suffer 1.25 million coronary events annually. Twenty five percent of these deaths are from coronary artery disease (CAD), of which atherosclerosis is the primary cause. CAD is the leading cause of death in this country.
Plaque in the arteries is thought to occur from disturbances to the endothelium (inner lining of the artery). This damage can occur from smoking and high blood pressure (hypertension). Once this destruction occurs, individuals with elevated cholesterol are prone to plaque buildup. Treatment options such as by-pass surgery and angioplasty are common. Three hundred thousand patients per year endure bypass surgery, and a similar number undergo angioplasty.
Non invasive medications include beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. Lifestyle changes include diet, exercise, and stress management.
