WHAT IS CORONARY HEART DISEASE?
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused by atherosclerosis (the thickening and hardening of the inside walls of arteries). Some hardening of the arteries occurs normally as a person grows older. In atherosclerosis, plaque deposits build up in the arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances from the blood. Plaque buildup in the arteries often begins in childhood. Over time, plaque buildup in the coronary arteries can: Narrow the arteries. This reduces the amount of blood and oxygen that reaches the heart muscle. Completely block the arteries. This stops the flow of blood to the heart muscle. Cause blood clots to form. This can block the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.

One of the possible cause of coronary heart disease is smoking.
Below is an article on smoking and how it effects your hear leading to CAD.


How Your Smoking Affects Your Loved Ones
By Kelly Gillis
Your cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking doesn't only have an affect on your health. The U.S. Surgeon General's report "The Health Consequences of Smoking," released in 2004, states it has been proven that smoking (or living with a person who smokes) can cause disease in nearly every organ of the body, in men as well as women. This means that every time you "light up" you are potentially damaging the health of your children, your spouse and your loved ones.

It is a fact that second hand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke or ETS) is a major cause of children's illness. As children have developing lungs and have higher breathing rates than adults they run the greatest risk of health effects. In children under the age of 18 second hand smoke has been linked with pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections, upper respiratory tract irritation, increased severity of asthma and asthmatic symptoms. It has been associated with sudden infant death syndrome, middle ear infections, upper respiratory tract infections (colds and sore throats) and cancers and leukemia. Japanese researchers just released a study that suggests that second hand smoke may affect childrens gums. 70% of the children of smokers had a brownish or black pigmentation of their gums.

Statistics show that approximately

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