Coronary artery disease
| Coronary artery disease | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Atherosclerotic heart disease,[1] atherosclerotic vascular disease,[2] coronary heart disease[3] |
 | |
| Illustration depicting atherosclerosis in a coronary artery | |
| Medical specialty | Cardiology, cardiac surgery |
| Symptoms | Chest pain, shortness of breath |
| Complications | Heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attack, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest |
| Causes | Atherosclerosis of the arteries of the heart |
| Risk factors | High blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood cholesterol |
| Diagnostic method | Electrocardiogram, cardiac stress test, coronary computed tomographic angiography, coronary angiogram |
| Prevention | Healthy diet, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking |
| Treatment | Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) |
| Medication | Aspirin, beta blockers, nitroglycerin, statins |
| Frequency | 110 million (2015) |
| Deaths | 8.9 million (2015) |
Coronary artery disease, also called coronary heart disease (CHD), is a heart disease. ("Coronary" means "the blood vessels of the heart".) Coronary heart disease causes plaque to build up inside the coronary arteries. This causes the coronary arteries to become narrower and pressure to build, forcing the heart to work harder, as well as the risk of heart attacks or blockage of the vessels.
The heart pumps blood full of oxygen and nutrients through the arteries, working with the lungs to get it to different parts of the body. Blood that is pumped back to the heart through veins contains carbon dioxide taken out of cells to be removed from the body. The coronary arteries are very important. They supply blood to the heart muscle. So when the coronary arteries become narrower, less blood gets to the heart muscle.
Symptoms
[change | change source]Most people with coronary artery disease feel healthy for years before they start experiencing symptoms. The most common symptom is a heart attack. If it is not treated, some of the plaques in the coronary arteries can break away and block the blood flow to the heart. Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of sudden death. It is also the most common cause of death in people over 65 years old. Men are 10 times more likely to get coronary artery disease than women.
Atherosclerosis
[change | change source]Atherosclerosis is a form of heart disease. It causes fatty materials (like cholesterol) to build up in the arteries, forming harder materials called plaques. This causes the arteries to become narrower. It also makes it more difficult for blood to flow through the arteries. This can cause blood clots to form, blocking blood from traveling through the arteries. Small pieces of plaque can also break off and block smaller blood vessels.
If an artery becomes blocked completely, it causes serious problems. All cells, tissues, and organs in the body need oxygen and nutrients (carried by blood) to survive. If cells or tissues are not supplied with enough blood, they die. (This is called necrosis.) When this happens in the coronary arteries, a section of the heart dies. This can cause a myocardial infarction (a heart attack) to happen.
Prevention
[change | change source]People at risk or with CAD can do many different things to lower their chances of suffering from it, or help not make it worse. Everyone can make lifestyle or dietary changes to lower their risk of getting heart disease too. Prevention includes changes like:
- Healthy or a healthier diet. For example, eating fewer fatty foods, and taking in as few saturated fats and avoiding trans fats as possible
- Eating less salt[source?]
- Eating more more vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains
- Avoid drinking excessive alcohol
- Exercising regularly.
Not being overweight or obese is helpful in reducing the risk of CAD, if the person can help it. Overweight people are more at risk of developing heart disease[source?], and following the diet and lifestyle changes can help with getting to and maintaining a healthy weight.
Related pages
[change | change source]- Pulmonary edema
- Healthy diet and the food pyramid
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Coronary heart disease – causes, symptoms, prevention". Southern Cross Healthcare Group. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
- ↑ Faxon DP, Creager MA, Smith SC, Pasternak RC, Olin JW, Bettmann MA, et al. (June 2004). "Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease Conference: Executive summary: Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease Conference proceeding for healthcare professionals from a special writing group of the American Heart Association". Circulation. 109 (21): 2595–604. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.0000128517.52533.DB. PMID 15173041.
- ↑ MedlinePlus Encyclopedia Coronary heart disease