Coronary Arteries Diseases

In these complications the coronary arteries that supply with blood the myocardium, decrease progresivelly their diameter as a result of forming of artherosclerotic plaque on arterial walls. This process of progressive thickening of the arterial walls refer to the artherosclerosis, and when coronary arteries are involved it is called the coronary arteries disease

As the disease progresses and the coronary arteries get thicker, the capacity to provide blood to myocardium is progressivelly reduced. Thus, the heart region supplied by the thickened arteries becomes ischemic, that means no blood flow in that region.Heart's ischemy usually can cause chest pain named Angina Pectoris.

When the blood flow to a part of the myocardium is severe or entirely limited, ischemy can cause a cardiac stroke or a myocardic infarct. The cells of the cardiac muscle deprived of blood for (more) minutes are also unwised of O2, which leads to an irreversible cell death (necrosis).

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative disease of the arteries associated with fatty deposits on the inner walls leading to reduced blood flow and increased risk of heart and circulatory disease.Artherosclerosis is not a specific disease for old people, is a pediatrical disease with beginnings in childhood. The way in which the disease develop is determinated by genetic factors, lifestyle, by nourishment, by physical activity, by stress.

For some people the disease has a rapid progress from a relatively young age of 30-40 years. For others, the disease progress is very slow with few or even none symptoms during their life time.

 

Factors with a high risk for coronary arteries diseases can be classifiyed in two groups:

a) the ones which are independent , and a person can't influence it

b) ones which can be modifiyed by basic lifestyle changes.

The factors which can not be controled include: heredity, sex and old ages; those which can be modifiyed are: a hight level of blood lipids ( cholesterol, triglycerides ), hypertension, smoking, lack of physical activity, obesity, diabetes, stress.

Prevention of coronary diseases

Physical activity interposes in the reduceing the risk of coronary diseases.

General studyes prouved that the risk to have a cardiac stroke in the sedentary populations is 2-3 times bigger that in the physical active population. But what sort of physical activity or fitness is necessary to reduce the risk of coronary disease?

The medium level of activity, like walking and strolling can be of great value by considerably reduceing the risk of coronary disease. In any case, it 's clear that a low intensity activity is sufficient to reduce the risk of appearance for these diseases. High intensity exrcises are not necessary in gaining profit for your health.

The importance of periodical physical activity in reduceing the risk of coronary disease becomes obvious when we think about the anatomical and physiological adaptations that come as a response to physical exercise.

Physical exercise determines a hypertrophy of the heart by increasing the capacity of the left ventricle, but also by thickening the ventricular wall. This adaptation is important for improving contractility and increasing the pumping capacity of the heart. Exercise increases the size of most coronary blood vessels, which implies a higher blood flow capacity to all regions of the heart. It is also known that blood flow through the coronary arteries rises during exercise. Some evidence also suggests that exercise improves the heart' s collateral circulation.

The collateral circulation is a system of small blood vessels that derive from the main coronary vessels and are important in providing blood to all heart regions, especially when the main coronary arteries are blocked. Physical effort exerts positive effects over the lipids level in the blood.