Coronary Artery Disease

The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with blood flow to carry the needed oxygen and nutrients to the heart tissue. There are a total of three coronary artery branches.

Due mainly to a poor diet and inactive lifestyle, one or more of these arteries can become blocked due to plaque build-up. Diets high in fat and cholesterol have been linked to this type of condition. Some symptoms of this condition include dizziness, shortness of breath and rapid heart rate.

To diagnose this type of condition, a specialist will use a process known as cardiac catheterization.

The catheter can be best described as a tube that is fed through a main artery branch beginning in your groin area, all the way up to the heart. Once inside the heart, dye is injected into the coronary arteries so that they can be projected onto a screen for observation.

Depending on the severity of the blockage, the physician may decide to use a procedure known as Angioplasty to treat the blockage.

This procedure is the same as catheterization as far as the route used to reach the clogged artery. However, now there is a surgical balloon at the end of the wire. This balloon is fed right into the center of the blockage and then inflated. The inflated balloon pushes the plaque against the wall of the artery, clearing a path for blood flow The balloon is then deflated and the instrument is removed from the patient.

If the blockage is severe (usually 90% or more), a surgical stent is required.

During this procedure a stainless-steel screen is inserted over top of the surgical balloon. When the balloon is inflated it pushes the mechanism is opened up and stays permanently against the wall of the artery. Blocked Artery Catheter with balloon and stent is inserted Balloon is inflated opening up the stent Catheter and balloon are removed, leaving the stent in place

In extreme cases such as a 100% blockage, a bypass surgery may have to be performed.

During a bypass surgery procedure, a piece of an artery (usually from the patient’s leg) is removed. This is referred to as a graft. This piece of artery will then be used to create an alternative route for blood flow around the clogged artery.

Risk Factors Tobacco smoke — Smokers' risk of developing coronary heart disease is 2–4 times that of nonsmokers. High blood cholesterol — As blood cholesterol rises, so does risk of coronary heart disease. High blood pressure- Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, Obesity- Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors. Physical inactivity- Lack of exercise also is associated with coronary artery disease. Diet- Diets high in animal fat have been linked to heart disease as well. Age- Coupled with one or more of these other risk factors

Which of the meals below would fall into safe-harbor? According to the FDA, a consistent diet that contains more that 15% from fat is considered to be a high-risk diet for long-term coronary artery disease. Which of the meals below would fall into safe-harbor? Meal 1 Meal 2 Meal 3 120g of carbs 70g of carbs 110 g of carbs 15g of carbs 25g of protein 40 g of protein 10g of fat 9 g of fat 15 g of fat ********** 120 grams of carbs x 4 = 480 calories 15 grams of protein x 4 = 60 calories 10 grams of fat x 9 = 90 calories Total calories = 630 calories 90 / 630 = 14.2 %