Men's Health - Men's Health Line - Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a type of heart disease due to the occlusion of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries serve to supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. When the arteries become narrow and stiff because of fatty plaques, this will affect the circulation to the heart and results in the damage of the heart muscle.

A number of risk factors, individually or in combination, can lead to coronary heart disease, including

Smoking

High fat diet

Physical inactivity

High blood pressure

High cholesterol levels

Obesity

Diabetes mellitus

Stress

A family history of coronary heart disease

The most common signs and symptoms are:

Chest pain or feeling tightness, heaviness in the chest. The pain can spread down one or both arms, or up to neck, jaw, shoulder or back. The pain is usually induced by physical exertion (such as climbing stairs) and relieved by rest.

Puffiness and shortness of breath.

Paleness, sweating or weakness.

Nausea, vomiting or indigestion.

You can lower your risk of having a heart disease by:

No smoking.

Have a healthy diet, avoid too much fats, oils, salts and sweets.

Take suitable exercise based on your physical condition.

Control your weight.

Get adequate rest and avoid stress.

Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels with regular checking according to doctor's instruction.

There are many treatments such as medication and surgery along with lifestyle changes which slow down the progress of this disease. The choice of an appropriate treatment is based on the severity of the symptoms, the extent to which they affect the patient's life, and the presence of any other medical conditions.

Consult a doctor if you have any suspicions. The doctor would check your history and arrange the necessary examination to make a diagnosis.

If you have a diagnosis of CHD, there are many things you can do to help yourself. All preventive advice applies. These include:

Quit smoking.

Maintaining a healthy weight.

Having regular exercise under medical supervision.

Eating a low fat and low cholesterol diet.

Taking prescribed medications to treat chest pain and to control your high blood pressure and cholesterol.

If you have any suspicions, you should seek medical advice.

Heart disease is one of the main killers in men of Hong Kong, claiming 2,831 men's lives in 2006. Coronary heart disease accounted for approximately two-thirds of all heart diseases related deaths in men.

Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke and chronic lung diseases. It is the most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in Hong Kong.

One of the causes of coronary heart disease is overweight or obesity. About 38% of men in Hong Kong are overweight or obese.

You can improve the heart-lung functions and circulation by doing regular exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Exercise also helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.

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