Coronary Heart Disease Causes
The underlying cause of coronary heart disease is a slow build-up of fatty deposits on the inner wall of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood (the coronary arteries). These fatty deposits gradually clog the arteries and reduce the flow of blood to the heart. This process, called atherosclerosis, begins in younger years and can be well advanced by middle age.
There is no single thing that causes coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. However, risk factors (things that increase your chance of developing CHD) include:
- Smoking
- High blood cholesterol
- Physical inactivity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Being overweight
- Depression, social isolation and lack of social support.
Older age, being male, being an Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander and having a family history of early death from heart disease are also coronary heart disease risk factors.
While some of these risk factors (such as age and gender) can't be changed, the good news is that there are many steps you can take to improve other risk factors and lower your risk of developing coronary heart disease.