George's Super Cool Blog On Coronary Artery Disease

Hello, and welcome to my blog, where we will be talking about everything CAD (Coronary artery/heart disease).  "What is coronary artery disease?" you may ask.  Well, it's actually very simple.  Your heart is a muscle that pumps blood.  It also needs blood for itself or it will stop working!  CAD is caused when the arteries that supply the heart narrows.  There are a few very notable symptoms that are indicative of CAD.  Those include angina (chest pain), shortness of breath, and a heart attack.  If you see somebody with those symptoms, better have your CPR skills in handy!

Here is a picture of the heart and some of the basic arteries that give the heart it's oxygen.

Coronary Arteries of the heart: 

As you can see, the heart is a very complex organ.  One of the most, if not the most important muscle in the body.  Even underneath the arteries, the heart is very complex and fascinating, with two ventricles and two aortas that help pump blood.  The process of pumping blood requires oxygen from the coronary arteries.  See?  Isn't the heart such a fascinating organ?!  

Here is what happens when the heart arteries narrow as compared to a normal (healthy) artery: 

Inside an artery: 

The most common cause of coronary artery disease is atherosclerosis, cause by plaque buildup in the arteries. This usually occurs over the course of  many years.  In fact, it is better to start leading a better lifestyle now so it will lower the chance of getting CAD later in life!  I know it's very tempting and exciting to read this very exciting blog while munching on potato chips or chocolate cookies, but later on in life, it can come back to haunt you (even though I need to follow my own advice sometimes)!  So lets drop the sugar cookies, get up, and head to the gym to muscle up and fight coronary artery disease!

Sources: 

1. Coronary artery disease. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronary-artery-disease/basics/definition/con-20032038

2. Coronary arter. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2015, from http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/C/coronary_artery.html