BRITISH CARDIAC RESEARCH TRUST

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‘Diabetes, obesity and stressful modern lifestyles are fuelling ever greater incidences in CHD’....

Hardening of the coronary arteries due to blockages and narrowing will starve the heart of oxygen resulting in permanent damage. This process is known as CHD. Some of the symptoms of CHD are:

• chest pain (angina)

• shortness of breath

• severe sweating

• nausea and upset stomach

• fatigue and weakness Our current research ranges from understanding the biology and causes of heart disease to investigating how best to diagnose, prevent and treat the disease at the earliest possible stage.

Attempts to prevent cardiovascular disease take the form of modifying risk factors. The major risk factors for CHD are:

• smoking

• high blood pressure

• high blood cholesterol

• obesity

• alcohol excess

• physical inactivity

• genetic factors

• stress

• diabetes

Your risk of CHD will depend on how many of the above risk factors you have. Some of the risk factors can not be modified, but knowing about them may encourage you to deal with them and take action where possible.