The heart is a vital organ of the human body. It is a muscular organ about the size of a fist. It is like a pump that supplies blood with oxygen and nutrients to all the parts of the body. Blood vessels are the body's highways that allow blood to flow quickly and efficiently from the heart to every organ of the body and back again. There are three major types of blood vessels: arteries, capillaries and veins. When plaque (fatty material, calcium or scar tissue) builds up in the arteries, the walls become narrow, which restricts adequate blood from reaching the heart. The process of building up of plaque on the walls of the arteries is known as atherosclerosis. 33 PRO HEART PRO HEART If a blood clot forms, the plaque can completely restrict the blood flow which can result in serious conditions like heart attack or stroke. A pressing or squeezing pain, usually in the chest under the breast bone but sometimes in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaws, back or upper abdomen can be confused with indigestion or heartburn. Stress, age, gender, hypertension or high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, family history, obesity, diabetes and air pollution are some of the major contributing risk factors of heart disease.
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