What causes heart disease? Your heart is a pump. Its one and only job is to pump blood to the rest of your body. Your heart has its own system which supplies blood to the heart. This is a set of three major blood vessels, the coronary arteries, and they must receive a strong, steady supply of blood in order for your heart to pump blood efficiently. But when you have heart disease, plaque from fatty deposits can build up in your coronary arteries. This disease process, called atherosclerosis, causes a narrowing of these vessels. If a major blockage occurs, the result is a heart attack.
These are the key risk factors for heart disease:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
- Obesity
- Lack of physical activity
- Stress
- Tobacco use
Specific types of exercise can decrease or eliminate some of these risk factors.
I’m Steve Taylor, Physical Therapist, of Southern Physical and Occupational Therapy Services
Moving You To A Pain-Free Lifestyle
