CHD, or coronary heart disease, is most commonly caused by fatty materials building up on the walls of the arteries that run throughout the body and, most importantly, along those tissues lining the heart, which are known as coronary arteries. This is known as atherosclerosis and becomes a major problem when the inner linings of these arteries become covered in a kind of sludge that is then covered with cholesterol, cell waste, and other unhealthy and undesirable substances.
The sludge starts to patch up the artery wall causing the arteries to narrow and restricting the proper flow of blood. During the same time the blood also becomes more likely to clot and nutrients are unable to pass through the artery walls causing many of the arteries to lose elasticity. If left untreated this can cause high blood pressure increasing the risk factors of CHD.
If one of the arteries becomes completely blocked then a heart attack can occur. An artery generally becomes completely blocked when a plaque splits open forcing the formation of a blood clot that forms on the surface preventing the blood flow. Medical scientists do not yet know why plaques open up, but it is commonly thought that inflammation is to blame.
When nutrients and oxygen are not able to reach the artery walls then tissue and muscle that the artery supplies blood to begin to die. Some people are prone to developing CHD as the result of genetics and often have a family history of people dying from heart problems. Lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes can all increase the risk of developing CHD.
