What Causes Heart Disease

What causes heart disease,Does smoking really cause heart disease? is some of the question you will find here.Heart disease, known as cardiovascular disease is actually not one disease but many different diseases and problems, which affect the health and function of your heart.

There are over 50 different forms of heart disease. This includes cardiovascular disease, which also fits into the group considered heart disease. Because there are many diseases, what causes a heart disease vary.

Each person is unique when it comes to what causes heart disease ,cardiovascular disease with a different cause than the person sitting next to him in the cardiologist's office. To make it even more complicated, each individual may have heart disease from not just one cause but several contributing factors. There are often common factors, however, that lead to specific types of heart disease.

Genetic Predisposition and Birth Defects

Birth defects, known as congenital malformations, are one cause of heart disease. These types of problems can be anything from faulty valves to a hole in the heart. Genetic predisposition, a family tendency toward heart disease, is another contributing factor in heart disease. Most people with heart disease have some predisposition toward heart disease and then environmental forces take over from that point.

High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol

Atherosclerosis is another name for plaque that builds in the arteries. The fatty plaque blocks the arteries, which carry the blood with oxygen and nutrients to other parts of the body. If this condition continues for a long period, the arteries become thick and clogged.

This condition directly blocks the blood flow to the heart as well as other parts of the body and causes high blood pressure. Eventually, either the oxygen-starved heart gives a warning of chest pain or you have a heart attack.

High blood pressure is often an indication that there's a blockage, but it can come from other factors also. High cholesterol is a contributing factor to atherosclerosis.

Diabetes

Diabetes affects all parts of the body, particularly adult onset diabetes. If left uncontrolled, it becomes a killer, which destroys every organ including the heart. Often, the same environmental factors and lifestyles that cause adult onset diabetes also contribute to heart disease.

obesity and heart disease, Poor Diet, Lack of Exercise

The same factors causing heart disease and obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise, often are contributing factors in heart disease. In addition, the heart muscle has to work harder to function when the body carries additional weight.

heart disease and smoking

Besides the additional risk for lung diseases, smoking also constricts the blood vessels, increases the heart rate and may cause irregular beats. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of blood clots, which also may lead to a coronary.

Gender, Race and Age

More men tend to have heart disease than women do, at least before the age of 65. Scientists believe that the hormone estrogen often protects women from the increased risk. Race also plays a factor with certain racial groups showing a higher tendency toward heart disease. Of course, the older people get, the more potential there is for heart disease.

In addition to the other factors of What causes heart disease, stress, birth control pills, hormone imbalance, malnutrition and excessive use of alcohol are all contributing factors to heart disease.

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