Top 7 Causes of Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease, is a very common type of heart disease. The first and most common symptom of CAD is heart attacks. It is also one of the most common causes of deaths caused by heart problems worldwide. Here are the top 7 causes of CAD.

7. Obesity

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of CAD. Studies show that most chronic heart disease patients are overweight. In addition, obesity is associated with diabetes mellites, which may worsen the condition and the prognosis. (1, 2, 3)

6. Smoking

Smokers have a higher risk of developing heart problems than non-smokers. Smoking can cause severe damages to the walls of blood vessels in addition to worsening cholesterol build-up on these walls making CAD even worse. (4, 5, 6)

5. Diabetes

CAD is associated with diabetes mellites in most patients. Diabetic patients may suffer from having heart diseases, especially myocardial infarction (MI). The MI case becomes worse because the prognosis of CAD becomes worse due to diabetes. It is a pernicious loop. (7, 8, 9, 10)

4. High Blood Cholesterol Levels

Having high levels of cholesterol in your blood increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis over time. Having high cholesterol levels of LDL, low-density lipoproteins, or bad cholesterol, is dangerous, especially if accompanied by low levels of HDL, high-density lipoproteins, or good cholesterol. (11, 12, 13, 14)

3. Stress

Studies show that stress can increase the risk of developing heart problems because it can lead to increasing high blood pressure and elevating cholesterol levels. Also, stress is associated with unhealthy habits such as smoking, lack of physical activity, and overeating, which are all risk factors for developing chronic heart disease. (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)

2. Physical Inactivity

Studies show that physical activity plays an essential role in preventing CAD. Physical inactivity leads to increasing the number of risk factors that may lead to heart problems such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. (20, 21, 22, 23)

1. Age and Sex

The risk of CAD increases as we age because of the buildup of plaques on the walls of blood vessels. Blood vessels as everything else get older and more damaged with age. The risk of CAD in men increases at 45 and in women at 55. After the menopause, the risk doubles in women. (24, 25, 26)