Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease Coronary heart disease is caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries, which supply the heart. All muscles need a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, so does the heart since it is a muscle. The heart receives these nutrients and oxygen from the blood carried by the coronary arteries. However, when the coronary arteries become blocked by fat and cholesterol deposits, the coronary arteries become narrowed, this process is called atherosclerosis and thus not enough blood is supplied to the heart and coronary heart disease (CHD) occurs. Different forms of coronary heart disease can occur. If the heart does not receive enough oxygenated blood, the victim may experience severe chest pain, this phenomenon is called angina. When a large portion of the coronary artery becomes blocked, possibly by a blood clot, and blood supply to part of the heart is cut off, a heart attack can occur; Heart attacks cause sudden severe chest pain and can be fatal. Another form of coronary heart disease is heart failure, caused, once again, by blockage of the coronary artery. The main factors of coronary heart disease are as follows: age, sex, heredity/genetics, body diet, blood cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, exercise, diabetes/hypertension/other associated diseases, alcohol and social class. Some of these are unavoidable, however there are things that can be done to prevent coronary heart disease, or give it treatment if necessary. There are many ways to prevent coronary heart disease, in whatever form it is, which are explained below. The first would be to lower cholesterol levels. Cholest...... half of the paper ......and (usually taken from a vein in the leg) in the blocked coronary artery. By placing a graft in the diseased artery, blood can then bypass the blockage. If more than one coronary artery is blocked, multiple grafts can be inserted. As a last resort, if nothing else worked, a full heart transplant was performed, but this is a very difficult procedure and therefore is only performed if absolutely necessary. Even though all these treatments are available, it is preferable that doctors first take measures to prevent. Prevention of coronary heart disease should be practiced and then, if someone does manage to have coronary heart disease, then a change in lifestyle should be made before attempt surgery, because in some cases it is possible to overcome the problem simply by adopting basic prevention methods, but only at a slightly higher level.