Assignment Directions:
Heart disease remains one of the top causes of mortality in the Unites States. Consider the various types of heart disease covered in class this week. For your discussion, complete these items:
- The etiology of the selected heart disease
- Modifiable factors
- Non-modifiable factors
Use at least one scholarly source to support your findings. Examples of scholarly sources include academic journals, textbooks, reference texts, and CINAHL nursing guides. Be sure to cite your sources in-text and on References, page using APA format.
You can find useful reference materials for this assignment in the School of Nursing guide.
Have questions about APA? Visit the online APA guide.
Please make your initial post by midweek and respond to at least one other student's post by the end of the week.
A type of heart disease that was discussed in class and is potentially detrimental to overall cardiac function is coronary artery disease. Specifically, this disease involves the coronary arteries, which are the arteries that crucially carry blood to the heart to support the heart's many imperative functions. However, in coronary artery disease or "CAD", these arteries are very much limited in their needed function, due to the narrowing of the arteries or atherosclerosis. Furthermore, these arteries become impaired due to a gradual buildup of plaque, which primarily consists of fats or cholesterol crowding the arterial walls. Even more so, because coronary artery disease causes narrowing of the coronary arteries supplying blood flow to the heart, if left untreated this disease could potentially lead to Myocardial Infarction due to this lack of crucial blood flow. With this, some modifiable risk factors of CAD or factors that can be controlled are smoking tobacco, a diet high in LDL cholesterol or "bad" cholesterol, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. On the other hand, some non-modifiable factors of CAD would be advanced age, being of the male gender, and immediate family history of heart disease, especially with an earlier onset (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Overall, this type of heart disease is potentially preventable through the management of a proper diet, exercising regularly, and not smoking.