Coronary Artery Disease - Cause for Concern

Coronary Artery Disease (or CAD) is the single leading cause of mortality, accounting for over 900,000 deaths annually. Estimates show that over 3 million Americans suffer occasional chest pains due to coronary artery blockages. Despite these staggering figures, the US is still only 17th in cardiovascular disease mortality worldwide. Many other countries (Russia, Poland, Hungary, Finland) continue to have higher mortality and morbidity from CAD than the USA, making this a world-wide healthcare issue. As common as it is, CAD has not yet been eradicated by preventative measures. In fact, it is only within the last 40 or 50 years that the role of cholesterol and dietary fat in the development of this disease has really been understood. However, a number of other "risk factors" have also been identified, including family history of CAD, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and lifestyle issues such as lack of exercise or Type A personality, etc.
The heart is a muscle, not unlike the muscles in your leg or arm. Any of these muscles, including the heart, is composed of millions of small cells which contract, or shorten, under the proper conditions. A muscle cell, (also known as a "myocyte") can physically shorten due to the unique component of proteins contained in that type of cell. These proteins (called "actin" and "myosin") slide over each other in a unique manner, foreshortening the length of the cell in the process. When millions of such cells act simultaneously, the muscle body shortens, and develops a force of contraction. This is the same mechanism that occurs when you raise your arm, walk, lift, etc.

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