The medical terms "coronary heart disease," often abbreviated CHD, and "coronary artery disease," often abbreviated CAD, are synonymous. Both refer to a common and very serious medical condition that affects your coronary arteries. These arteries are a type of blood vessel responsible for transporting blood to your heart. Diet can have a significant effect on CHD.
Significance
The main feature of coronary heart disease is the accumulation of a fatty compound known as plaque. When this wax-like substance builds up inside your arteries, it decreases the width of the opening. This can interfere with your blood flow through the arteries, which can reduce the amount of blood and essential oxygen your heart receives. The result of this obstruction can include an increased risk of numerous complications, including chest pain and a potentially deadly heart attack.
Function of Diet
Men and women can both get CHD for several reasons, including heredity, normal aging and as a side effect of other medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The level of cholesterol in your blood and being overweight are two additional major factors that can increase your chances of developing CHD. The primary goal of a CHD diet is to help you control plaque buildup by achieving and maintaining appropriate cholesterol levels and a healthy weight.
Role of Cholesterol
Your body contains several types of cholesterol naturally and through the animal-based foods you consume. They include low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol. The first kind of cholesterol is bad for your arteries because it accumulates inside your blood vessels. The second kind of cholesterol is good for your arteries, because it helps prevent plaque buildup.
Controlling Blood Cholesterol
An effective CHD diet helps protect your heart and health by decreasing your level of LDL cholesterol and increasing your level of HDL cholesterol. Managing your blood cholesterol successfully requires limiting the amount of fat you eat that contributes to unhealthy cholesterol levels. Saturated fat and trans fat are found in full-fat meats and many processed and snack foods, and both increase LDL cholesterol. Foods that can increase your beneficial HDL cholesterol levels include the monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat common in foods such as nuts and vegetable oils.
Other Features
In addition to promoting healthy cholesterol levels, a CHD diet emphasizes nutritious eating and appropriately sized servings of food to help you control your weight. Good nutrition involves eating a lot of nourishing yet low-calorie fruits and vegetables, healthier whole grains and heart-friendly low-fat proteins such as cold-water and fatty fish, legumes, poultry without the skin and reduced-fat or nonfat dairy products. People at risk of getting CHD should limit their salt consumption, as well, in order to avoid high blood pressure. Strategies for reducing salt include avoiding canned and frozen products and foods with a lot of sodium, such as soy sauce and table salt. Not smoking, consuming alcohol in moderation and exercising regularly increase the benefits of a CHD diet even more.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Coronary Artery Disease - How Your Diet Can Help; American Academy of Family Physicians; April 2003
- "Circulation"; Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease by Diet and Lifestyle - Evidence from Prospective Cross-Cultural, Cohort, and Intervention Studies; Daan Kromhout, PhD, MPH; Alessandro Menotti, MD, PhD; Hugo Kesteloot, MD, PhD; and Susana Sans, MD, PhD; 2002
- FamilyDoctor.org: Coronary Artery Disease - Reducing Your Risk
- MayoClinic.com: Heart-Healthy Diet - 8 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease
