HEART ATTACK – CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
Some people have an inherited tendency to high fat levels in the blood and diet alone may not be sufficient to lower the levels. There are drugs which can reduce the amount of fat retained and these may be necessary.
Coronary artery disease may develop in people in the early thirties but heart attacks become more common in the late forties and early fifties.
Women seem relatively immune from heart attack until after the menopause, when the incidence rises dramatically and may exceed that for men.
Gradual narrowing of the coronary arteries may lead to the condition of angina.
When the heart has to work harder with more exertion, the heart muscle requires more blood to supply its own needs. With narrowing of the arteries, not enough blood may be able to get through.
The diagnosis of angina is usually easy to make as the story is so typical, although examination may not reveal any abnormalities and even the electrocardiograph may be normal.
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