The number one killer in America is the CAD or Coronary Artery Disease, also known as Coronary heart disease. The Coronary Artery Disease is a condition of the heart wherein, some sort of blockage appears in the arteries of the heart leading to an obstruction in the blood flow. The buildup of plaque in the arteries that blocks the supply of blood and increases the risk of stroke or heart attack is a heart disease.
The condition that leads to blockage is also termed as atherosclerosis. With the passage of time the walls of the arteries become narrow and rigid from the former characteristic of being elastic and wider, culminating in the restricted supply of blood to the heart. The heart becomes deprived of nutrients and most importantly oxygen, which is very vital in its proper functioning.
Plaque may start to build up from a very young age, which is laden with cholesterol. This continues to build up inflaming the walls of the arteries and enhancing the risk of blockage. The chemicals released from the plaque make the inner walls of the arteries extremely sticky and the calcium and other nutrients that flow in the blood get stuck to the walls, making them narrow by the day.
Dr. Lowell I Gerber MD is a renowned cardiologist of Freeport, Maine. His specialties are cardiology and interventional cardiology. He deals in cardiovascular diseases and internal medicine. Dr. Lowell I Gerber MDperforms several medical procedures such as cardiac imaging, chest CT and others. He also has the reputation of contributing to Nutrigenomics and prescribing lifestyles to acquire optimal health.
Chest pain also known as angina, is the most common symptom for coronary artery disease. Though it is usually felt in the chest, it can also be experienced in the arms, neck, back and jaw. It is sort of pressure, numbness, aching. The other symptoms of this disease may be shortness of breath, increased heartbeat, palpitation, excessive perspiration, nausea, weakness, and dizziness.
A proper treatment of coronary artery disease needs you to try and reduce risk factors. Adopting a changed lifestyle which includes, quitting of smoking habits, avoiding processed foods, consuming low fat, low salt and low sugar foods, should be on the alteration list. Regular consumption of medicines and exercising should also be beneficial for these patients.
There are surgical procedures too to sort out this problem. They include angioplasty and bypass surgery, these surgeries increase the blood supply to the heart but sadly they are not capable of completely doing away with the disease. This is why it is important that the risk factors still have to be kept in mind and worked upon accordingly, which can be best explained by Dr. Lowell I Gerber MD.
The more novice treatments are called angiogenesis and EECP or enhanced external counterpulsation. These procedures are more promising ones as compared to the older ones. In angiogenesis, stem cells or other genetic materials are given through the veins or at times directly in the blood. The fact however still remains that even after the surgeries are carried out successfully; the patients have to still live a proper lifestyle to stay away from the fatal hands of coronary artery disease.