Coronary heart disease in the UK - Essay Example

Cardiovascular diseases cause a lot of health problems in the UK. In 2011, the country experienced approximately 160,000 deaths due to these diseases. Majorities of deaths from heart diseases are brought about by heart attacks; the UK records around 103,000 heart attacks every year. The UK experiences approximately 152,000 strokes every year, which cause more than 40,000 deaths (Department of Health 2010). Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in the UK and around the world. The disease causes approximately 73,000 deaths in the United Kingdom every year (Mozaffarian et al. 2015). It is estimated that one in a group of six men and one in a group of ten women dies as a result of coronary heart disease.

In the UK, there are about 2.3 million persons living with the disease. Around the world, approximately 2 million people are affected by coronary heart disease. As people grow old, they become more likely to get CHD; Men are more likely to suffer from the disease when they are much younger as compared to women (Mozaffarian et al. 2015). The high number of deaths caused by coronary heart disease requires immediate intervention in order to curb its spread. It is important to study the condition in order to know its causes, symptoms and establish how to treat it.

The building up of fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries that directs blood to the heart causes coronary heart disease. The fat deposits cause the arteries to narrow leading to a reduction in the supply of oxygen to the heart (Shah 2006). The decrease in the supply oxygen causes pain in the chest or even heart attack. The heart is a muscular pump that moves blood to the lungs and the other parts of the body. The blood supplies the body with oxygen and other vital nutrients while taking away carbon dioxide and other waste materials.

The heart gets a supply of blood through the coronary