Coronary heart disease or coronary heart disease affects 16.8 million people in the United States and causes more than 607,000 deaths each year (Lemone, ch.30). It is caused by atherosclerosis, which is the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries which cause an alteration of blood flow to the myocardium. CAD or coronary artery syndrome is usually asymptomatic but can cause heart attack, angina and acute coronary syndrome if not adequately treated. There are many risk factors associated with CAD such as obesity, a high cholesterol diet, heredity, physical inactivity, to name a few. Patients with CAD may not be able to identify and manage their risk factors. It is essential that nurses educate the patient about CAD and measures to improve their health. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of CAD. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease characterized by fatty deposits in the arteries that cause blockage of the normal passage of blood. No one is quite sure how atherosclerosis develops. Plaque is mainly made up of cholesterol, phospholipids and smooth muscle cells. They also reduce the size of the lumen of the affected artery, which impairs the blood flow of this artery and may later form a thrombus that will completely occlude the vessel. “Unfortunately, signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis usually do not develop until at least 70% of the lumen of an artery is blocked. Angina is almost always the first symptom to appear.” (Journal: The killer behind CAD, 2010). Modifiable factors that could prevent the onset of DKA include cigarette smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, an atherogenic diet such as one high in cholesterol, use of contraceptives, and hormone replacement therapy. “Women continue to… middle of paper… smoking, high cholesterol diet, age, gender, sedentary lifestyle, contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. Nurses can fill significant treatment gaps in managing the risk factors of patients with coronary heart disease. “Cardiac rehabilitation programs, including nursing training, have a beneficial effect on patients' quality of life, exercise capacity, lipid profile, body mass index, body weight, blood pressure, heart rate at rest, on the survival rate, on the mortality rate and on the reduction of risk factors for myocardial infarction. ” (Journal of Health Sciences, 2012). Health care providers should discuss therapeutic lifestyle changes with patients, emphasizing the role of diet in heart disease. Nurses should provide information and teaching about medications to lower cholesterol levels and also discuss the relationship between diabetes, hypertension and CAD.