The leading cause of death in the United States is a disease of the heart and blood vessels called cardiovascular disease. This type of heart disease occurs when a “substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart” (CAD). This plaque present is made up of excess cholesterol that becomes embedded in the inner walls of the heart's coronary arteries. When this occurs, it causes a condition called atherosclerosis, “the gradual buildup of plaque in the blood vessels that supply the heart” (HealthiNation), preventing these arteries from expanding properly and providing the blood flow needed to keep the heart functioning properly . This narrowing and hardening of artery walls can lead to “heart attacks, chest pain (angina), or strokes” (Staff) which have killed half a million Americans a year. Contributed to risk factors that an individual cannot change and a lack of symptoms that appear until it is too late, CVD symptoms can disrupt the heart's regular movements. However, the outcomes that arise from these immutable factors may involve a conscious effort to prolong life by managing how they live. The severity of an individual's reaction to CVD is primarily attributed to the composition of their DNA. The development of CVD is sometimes inevitable because an individual's age, gender, and heredity can increase the chances of complications from heart disease. Age, contrary to popular belief, the influence of these factors has been found to develop earlier as a “result of our pitifully degraded, artificial and overly processed food supply, the early stages of heart disease have been found to actually begin during childhood" (Integrated). As opposed to the middle-aged demographic that has been… middle of the paper… about to live a longer life than expected if they continued down the path of unhealthy habits. Works Cited"Cardiovascular Disease Prevention & Management." Prevention and management of cardiac and vascular diseases. Np, 2013. Web. 07 December 2013."Coronary artery disease (CAD)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 7, 2009. Web. December 5, 2013.HealthiNation. "What is heart disease? (Part 1 of 3) | HealthiNation." YouTube. YouTube, January 20, 2012. Web. December 7, 2013. "Heart Disease Symptoms and Signs of Heart Problems - WebMD." WebMD. WebMD, 2013. Web. December 08, 2013."Integrated Supplements Blog." Blog about integrated supplements. Integrated Supplements, July 5, 2007. Web. December 7, 2013. Mayo Clinic Staff. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 January 2013. Web. 05 December. 2013.