LDL Cholesterol:  This low-density cholesterol—often termed “bad cholesterol”—is found in saturated fats.  It infiltrates and builds up on the walls of arteries and triggers the inflammatory immune reaction that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.                                

Triglycerides:  Triglycerides are tiny globules of fat in your blood.  Triglyceride levels become elevated when excess amounts of saturated fats, calories, processed foods, and processed sugars are consumed.  When this happens the blood can become cloudy with fat particles and circulation to all parts of the body, including the heart, can be affected.  This greatly increases the chances of a heart attack. 

Excess Weight:  Excess body weight is associated with an array of other disorders that cause inflammation such as high cholesterol levels, high triglycerides, imbalanced hormones, low-fiber diet, and lack of exercise.  This is one of the reasons why it is a major risk factor in heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

Homocysteine: Elevated homocysteine, an amino acid that increases with excess consumption of red meat and other animal-protein sources, acts like burning acid on your artery walls, creating injuries throughout the arterial system.  Once the artery is wounded, hordes of immune cells descend on the injury, making the vessel highly inflamed.  At the same time, homocysteine increases the blood’s tendency to form clots.  This combination of wounded vessel and blood clots are important steps in the creation of heart attacks. Increased homocysteine levels are also an indication that your immune system has or is failing.

Oxidation:  Antioxidants, found in vegetables, grains, beans, and fruit, halt the oxidation process that decays LDL particles and causes the immune system to spring into action.  The immune system then begins the plaque-formation process and causes inflammation. Oxidation - the brown discoloration - is what happens to an apple when it is cut open and left unprotected.

Lack of Exercise:  Moderate exercise is crucial to lowering levels of insulin, triglycerides, and fibrinogen, all of which are pro-inflammatory substances.  Moderate exercise also reduces weight and strengthens the heart, promotes better circulation, and reduces the risk of cancer.

Fibrinogen & Lipoprotein(a):  Fibrinogen is a protein that increases the blood’s tendency to form clots.  Levels of fibrinogen increase when you eat a diet rich in fat and animal proteins.  As fibrinogen levels go up the blood forms more clots, and the risk of heart attack increases significantly. Like fibrinogen, lipoprotein(a) - aka as Lp(a) which is influenced by genetics - is associated with blood clotting (thrombotic) and inflammatory, i.e. InflammoThrombotic changes.

Growth Factors:  Growth factors are substances that promote cellular growth.  They regulate the behavior of arteries, elevate fibrinogen levels, and trigger inflammatory reactions.  Growth factors become elevated when we eat diets rich in red meat, dairy products, poultry, and eggs.  A diet based on plant foods dramatically lowers growth factors, promotes the opening of blood vessels, including the coronary arteries, and greatly lowers the risk of heart attack.

Cytokines and Leukotrienes:  Cytokines and Leukotrienes (e.g. Interleukin-6; IL-6) are chemicals that help the cells of the immune system communicate as they spring into action.  These chemicals can also cause a wide variety of reactions in your system, including inflammation and constriction of blood vessels and arteries.

Complement Cascade:  Complement, a protein produced by the immune system, kills bacteria by poking holes in the cell membrane.  Complement also attacks large and small arteries, often mistaking them for bacteria.  The higher your inflammation, the more complement is attracted to your arteries.  The more complement attracted to your arteries, the more holes poked in your artery walls.  The more holes, the more inflammation.  In order to combat this vicious cycle, overall inflammation must be reduced. Complement can be increased by other infectious agents as well and damage other parts of your body; e.g. your lungs

Infection:  Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other infectious agents, are to the immune system what a red cape is to a bull.  Immune cells thus attack cholesterol plaque like a herd of bulls, fueling inflammation, which then fuels the growth of the cholesterol plaque.  As the plaque grows and inflammation increases, it can destabilize and rupture.  This can create a blood clot which increases the chance of a heart attack.

Direct Physical Damage:  Any injury, e.g. to an artery wall triggers an immune or inflammatory reaction within the artery.  Most of those injuries come from levels of LDL cholesterol, homocysteine, and complement, but some come from medical procedures themselves.