Lesson 3 - Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

What Causes Coronary Artery Disease?

There are many factors that increase one's risk of developing CAD. While some of these are factors may not be able to be controlled, others can be avoided, as part of a healthier lifestyle change.

Factors that cannot be controlled include:

• Heredity/Family History of CAD (especially when onset is before age 55)
• Gender (Men are at a higher risk than women, including post-menopausal women)
• Age (especially men over 45 or women over 55)

Factors that can be controlled include:

• Smoking
• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
• Obesity
• High Cholesterol Levels
• High Fat Levels (Triglycerides)
• Raised Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)
• Lowered High-density lipoproteins (HDL)
• Sedentary Lifestyle (Physical Inactivity)
• Alcohol Consumption
• Elevated Hormone Levels

Now that we've reviewed all the material in this section, why not retake the quiz and make us proud?

See, we knew you could do it! If you still didn't score as well as you wanted to, don't despair! Just review everything you just learned, and try, try, try again!

Sit down, relax, and think about all the habits in your life that may help contribute to CAD. Do you smoke or drink heavily? Do you have a family history of premature heart disease, heart attacks, or stroke? Do you have high cholesterol or need to lose a few pounds? Do you exercise regularly?

The first step to treatment is PREVENTION. Re-read the list of risk factors above, and if they describe you, consider making some alterations to your daily routine. Park a little farther from the grocery store or mall, and take a brisk walk to the front door. Consider cutting down or quitting smoking and drinking altogether. Be sure to have your cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly.

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