Category: Cardiovascular / Ischemic Heart Disease
### Summary Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It occurs when the arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. This is due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls. This buildup is called atherosclerosis. As it grows, less blood can flow through the arteries. As a result, the heart muscle can't get the blood or oxygen it needs. ### What It Is The coronary arteries supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to your heart. A buildup of plaque can narrow these arteries, decreasing blood flow to your heart. Eventually, the reduced blood flow may cause chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, or other coronary artery disease signs and symptoms. A complete blockage can cause a heart attack. ### How It Affects The Body - **Chest pain (angina):** You may feel pressure or tightness in your chest, as if someone were standing on your chest. This pain, referred to as angina, usually occurs on the middle or left side of the chest. Angina is generally triggered by physical or emotional stress. - **Shortness of breath:** If your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs, you may develop shortness of breath or extreme fatigue with exertion. - **Heart attack:** A completely blocked coronary artery will cause a heart attack. The classic signs and symptoms of a heart attack include crushing pressure in your chest and pain in your shoulder or arm, sometimes with shortness of breath and sweating. ### Who Is At Risk - **Age:** Getting older increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries. - **Sex:** Men are generally at greater risk of coronary artery disease. However, the risk for women increases after menopause. - **Family history:** A family history of heart disease is associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a close relative developed heart disease at an early age. - **Smoking:** Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. - **High blood pressure:** Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, narrowing the channel through which blood can flow. - **High blood cholesterol levels:** High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis. - **Diabetes:** Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease. - **Obesity:** Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors. - **Physical inactivity:** Lack of exercise is associated with coronary artery disease. - **High stress:** Unrelieved stress in your life may damage your arteries as well as worsen other risk factors for coronary artery disease. ### ⚠️ Emergency Signs Call 911 or emergency medical help if you think you're having a heart attack. Symptoms include: - Chest pain or pressure - Pain spreading to the arm, neck, or jaw - Shortness of breath - Sweating - Nausea - Lightheadedness ### When To See A Doctor If you have risk factors for coronary artery disease — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco use, diabetes, a strong family history of heart disease or obesity — talk to your doctor. Your doctor may want to test you for the condition. ### Diagnosis - **Electrocardiogram (ECG):** An electrocardiogram records electrical signals as they travel through your heart. An ECG can often reveal evidence of a previous heart attack or one that is in progress. - **Echocardiogram:** An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. During an echocardiogram, your doctor can determine whether all parts of the heart wall are contributing normally to your heart's pumping activity. - **Stress test:** If your signs and symptoms occur most often during exercise, your doctor may ask you to walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike during an ECG. - **Cardiac catheterization and angiogram:** To view blood flow through your heart, your doctor may inject a special dye into your coronary arteries (angiogram). The dye is injected through a long, thin, flexible tube (catheter) that is threaded through an artery, usually in the leg, to the arteries in the heart. - **Heart scan (CT scan):** Computerized tomography (CT) technologies can help your doctor see calcium deposits in your arteries that can narrow the arteries. ### Treatment Options - **Lifestyle changes:** Quit smoking, eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, lose excess weight, reduce stress. - **Drugs:** Cholesterol-modifying medications (statins), Aspirin, Beta blockers, Calcium channel blockers, Ranolazine, Nitroglycerin, ACE inhibitors and ARBs. - **Procedures and surgery:** - **Angioplasty and stent placement (percutaneous coronary intervention):** Your doctor inserts a long, thin tube (catheter) into the narrowed part of your artery. A wire with a deflated balloon is passed through the catheter to the narrowed area. The balloon is then inflated, compressing the deposits against your artery walls. A stent is often left in the artery to help keep the artery open. - **Coronary artery bypass surgery:** A surgeon creates a graft to bypass blocked coronary arteries using a vessel from another part of your body. This allows blood to flow around the blocked or narrowed coronary artery. ### Prevention The same lifestyle habits that can help treat coronary artery disease can also help prevent it: - Quit smoking. - Control conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. - Stay physically active. - Eat a low-fat, low-salt diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. - Maintain a healthy weight. - Reduce and manage stress.
Leading cause of death worldwide, affecting an estimated 126 million people globally (Source: Global Burden of Disease Study, 2019).
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