When you need a cardiologist to treat your heart disease in Arlington, TX, Dr. Atif Sohail of Heart & Sleep Clinics of America is board certified in general cardiology, interventional cardiology, and cardiac CT. His practice offers state-of-the-art cardiac testing and treatment.
Smoking
According to the CDC, smoking is very dangerous to cardiovascular health. Smoking is an important factor in Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and it is estimated that one in four deaths from CVD can be attributed to smoking. People who are light smokers can suffer as well. You don't need to be a heavy smoker, but the risk level rises with the number of cigarettes per day and how many years you have smoked. Secondhand smoke affects even non-smokers.
What is dangerous about smoking are the chemicals in the smoke that can cause blood vessels to become inflamed. This narrows the vessels and can lead to a wide variety of heart and vascular conditions.
High Blood Pressure
The American Heart Association links high blood pressure with heart disease in Arlington, TX, and heart failure. If it is left untreated, it can lead to damage to your circulatory system, which is a significant factor in heart disease. When you have high blood pressure, your heart has to work harder to get the blood through the veins. Eventually, this can damage the heart. It can also cause the narrowing of the coronary arteries, which can limit the amount of blood getting to the heart. High blood pressure is easy to control with medication and your doctor may recommend that you begin treatment if your numbers are above the recommended numbers.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is one of those strange things that you actually need in your body, but if you have the wrong kind it is bad for you. If you have high HDL cholesterol, your heart will thank you, but if your LDL is high, it is a very bad thing. What happens when you have too much LDL cholesterol can lead to fatty deposits in your blood vessels which build up and can cause plaque. Plaque causes your blood vessels to get narrower and this can lead to restriction of blood flow to the heart and a heart attack can be the result.
Contact Dr. Sohail of Heart & Sleep Clinics of America when you need to consult a cardiologist about heart disease in Arlington, TX. To make an appointment, call the office at (817) 419-7220 or use the contact form on our website.