Angina

Angina is chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. Angina is characterised by central chest pain or retrosternal pain, precipitated by exertion, heavy meal, stress, and cold weather. It feels like pressure in the chest, which could be associated with shortness of breath. It may radiate to the left arm, neck or jaw. It commonly disappears within 5 minutes of rest. If blood flow is not restored quickly the chest pain is prolonged and it will become more intense and an infarction will ensue.

Let's look at the risk factors for by treating them we could prevent and modify heart disease. These include:

A - conventional risk factors:

• High intake of saturated fat
• High cholesterol
• Smoking
• Hypertension
• Family history
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Alcohol
• Sedentary life style

B - Modern risk factors:

• Oxidised LDL
• Eicasinoids
• Homocysteine
• Inflammation
• Lipoprotein -a
• Fibrinogen
• Syndrome-X
• Unresolved stress

Now let me expand on some of these old and new risk factors.

Saturated fat

Saturated fat is the worst type of fat as it increases the free radical production and also damages the lining of the arteries. It has been reported to be associated with some types of cancer such as prostate. It also increases LDL-cholesterol, which is a major cause of atherosclerosis.

Saturated fat is commonly found in red meat such as sausages, deep fried foods, biscuits, steaks and chops, coconut and its oil, dairy products including milk, cream and butter. Try to avoid or reduce your saturated fat intake to a bare minimum.

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