Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

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Case Study #2: Coronary Artery Disease Case Study #2: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Eric is a 47-year-old male who has just been diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease. He is a construction worker and spends a great deal of time away from his wife and three children. Eric smokes approximately 1 1⁄2 packs of cigarettes a day and enjoys drinking a 6-pack after a long day at work. Coronary heart disease is the most common heart disease and the leading cause of death in men and women. Coronary heart disease is the narrowing of the small blood vessels which supply blood and oxygen to the heart. CAD is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries in your heart. Fatty material and other substances form plaque buildup in your arteries…show more content…
The traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease are high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, being post-menopausal for women and being older than 45 for men, obesity may also be a risk factor. Once the inner wall of an artery is damaged, fatty deposits (plaques) made of cholesterol and other cellular waste products tend to accumulate at the site of injury in a process called atherosclerosis. If the surface of these plaques breaks or ruptures, blood cells called platelets will clump at the site to try to repair the artery. This clump can block the artery, leading to a heart attack. Lifestyle changes and medicines can help control CAD. As for Eric the first thing he needs to do is to stop smoking. Smoking can damage and tighten blood vessels, lead to unhealthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels which can all lead to coronary heart disease. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels and carbon monoxide can injure the inner lining causing your heart to pump harder to compensate for the damage. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of heart attack so Eric should talk to his doctor about a program to help him with smoking cessation Also mentioned Eric eats on the run a lot, He needs to make sure he is eating healthy foods to ensure good blood and cholesterol levels. It's never too early to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, eating healthy foods and becoming more physically active. These are primary lines of defense against coronary artery disease and its complications, including heart attack and

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