Risk Factors of Heart Attack (Essay Sample)

Risk Factors of Heart Attack
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Risk Factors of Heart Attack
Coronary heart disease occurs when the arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscles, become clogged with fatty material known as plaque. Plaque gradually builds up on the inner walls of arteries, causing them to become narrow. If a blood clot occurs in the narrowed artery, it blocks blood supply to the heart, causing a heart attack (Peris, 2008). This paper aims at exploring the various risk factors of heart attack.
One of these risk factors is smoking. Research has revealed that smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, and damages artery walls. It also makes the blood stickier, and as a result, blood cells clump together. This leads to slow blood flow, and in some instances, it can lead to an absolute blockage of blood flow. Apart from making the blood stickier, smoking also makes the walls of arteries sticky leading to accumulation of fatty materials. This causes narrowing of blood vessels. If a blood clot occurs in the narrowed artery, it blocks blood flow causing a heart attack (Shah, 2006).
Another risk factor is the presence of high amounts of cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced naturally in the body. It can also be got from some foods. It is useful to the body, but it becomes a threat when it is too much in the blood. High amount of cholesterol in the blood causes accumulation of fatty material in the coronary arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart. This can result to a heart failure.
Currently, blood pressure is the leading risk factor of heart failure. Blood pressure normally goes up and down depending on the activity being undertaken. If blood pressure is too high, it can lead to overloading of the coronary arteries. This speeds-up artery-clogging slowing blood flow to the heart. As a result, a person can develop problems such as stroke and ...