Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease in the United States. It is sometimes called coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease.

For some people, the first sign of CAD is a heart attack. You and your health care team may be able to help reduce your risk for CAD.

 

Symptoms:

CHD can lead to angina. This is a type of chest pain linked to heart disease.

Angina may cause the following feelings across the chest:

squeezing

pressure

heaviness

tightening

burning

aching

 

Angina might also cause the following symptoms:

indigestion

heartburn

weakness

sweating

nausea

cramping

 

CHD can also lead to shortness of breath. If the heart and other organs do not receive enough oxygen, any form of exertion can become very tiring, which may cause a person to pant for air.

 

Causes:

 

CHD develops as a result of injury or damage to the inner layer of a coronary artery. This damage causes fatty deposits of plaque to build up at the injury site.

 

These deposits consist of cholesterol and other waste products from cells. This build up is called atherosclerosis.

 

If pieces of plaque break off or rupture, platelets will cluster in the area in an attempt to repair the blood vessel. This cluster can block the artery and reduce or block blood flow, which may lead to a heart attack.

 

Complications:

 

Heart attack occurs when the heart muscle does not have enough blood or oxygen, such as when a blood clot develops from plaque in one of the coronary arteries.

 

The formation of a blood clot is called coronary thrombosis. This clot, if it is big enough, can stop the supply of blood to the heart.

 

Treatment:

There is no cure for CHD. However, there are ways that a person can manage the condition.

Treatment tends to involve making healthful lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, adopting a healthful diet, and getting regular exercise.

Prevention:

Controlling blood cholesterol levels can help reduce a person’s risk of CHD. To better control blood cholesterol levels:

• be more physically active
• limit alcohol intake
• avoid tobacco
• adopt a diet with less sugar, salt, and saturated fats
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• Alpine
• Associate Editor
• Journal of Clinical Trials
• clinicaltrials@eclinicalsci.com
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