Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major non-communicable disease strongly linked to lifestyle factors such as a high saturated fat diet, smoking, and physical inactivity.
Which statement correctly describes the physiological mechanism by which these lifestyle factors lead to a myocardial infarction (heart attack)?
Chronic high blood sugar levels degrade the semi-lunar valves of the aorta, leading to backflow of blood and immediate cardiac arrest.
Fatty deposits build up inside the coronary arteries, narrowing the lumen and restricting oxygen delivery to the heart muscle.
Elevated blood pressure causes the walls of the pulmonary veins to rupture, preventing oxygenated blood from returning to the left atrium.
Cigarette toxins trigger severe inflammation and thickening of the vena cava endothelium, stopping deoxygenated blood from entering the right atrium.
