Articles

Heart Disease

What is heart disease?
Heart diseases affect the heart and blood vessels. The heart is a muscle that pumps blood to the body. The blood vessel is like a pipe that directs blood to the body. Just like any organ in the body, the heart needs blood to work. When the blood vessels of the heart get blocked, the heart does not work well. That type of heart disease is called coronary artery disease. When the blood vessels get stiff, it is harder to send blood to the other organs in the body. That type of heart disease is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the blood vessels.

What causes heart disease?
High Blood Pressure, High Blood Cholesterol, High Blood Fat, Diabetes, Tobacco Use, Obesity, Excessive Alcohol Consumption, Personal/Family History ofHeart Disease

What can heart disease lead to?
Heart Attack, Stroke, Heart Failure

What can you do?
You have the power to avoid heart disease. You can do this by eating healthier foods, exercising more, and having a healthy weight. Also, by not smoking and drinking less, you will lower your risk greatly.

Resources

Mayo Clinic

Special Thanks
Derek Chang graduated with a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Utah. Go Utes! He was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He aspires to become a physician-entrepreneur to find and create new ways of improving overall patient health. He enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, reading books, meeting new people, and learning anything new.

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