Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary arteries are the main blood vessels that carry blood, oxygen, and nutrients to your heart. Coronary artery disease (CAD) develops when the arteries are damaged or diseased. The main cause is cholesterol-containing deposits (plaque) in your arteries. When plaques accumulate, the arteries narrow, allowing your heart to receive less blood flow. Reduced blood flow can eventually lead to chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, and other signs and symptoms of coronary artery disease. A heart attack happens when there is a complete blockage.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) can go unnoticed until a heart attack occurs because it often develops over decades. If not treated, it can cause angina or an acute myocardial infarction. However, one can do a lot to prevent and treat coronary artery disease, beginning with adopting a healthy lifestyle. Medication, surgery, and minimally invasive procedures are all options for treating coronary artery disease.
Risk Factors
There are numerous risk factors for CAD, including:
- Increasing age : As you age, your risk of having damaged and narrowed arteries increases.
- Male sex : Men are more likely than women to develop coronary artery disease. For women, the risk rises after menopause.
- Family history : A family history of heart disease increases the risk of coronary artery disease, particularly if a close relative developed heart disease at a young age. You are at the highest risk if your father or brother were diagnosed with heart disease before the age of 55, or if your mother or sister developed it before the age of 65.
- Cigarette smoking : Smoking constricts your blood vessels and can damage their inner lining, making them more prone to atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are six times more common in people who smoke at least 20 cigarettes per day than in people who never smoke.
- High blood pressure. Untreated high blood pressure can cause your arteries to harden and thicken, narrowing the channel through which blood can flow.
- High blood cholesterol level : High cholesterol levels in the blood increase the risk of plaque formation and atherosclerosis. High cholesterol can be caused by a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol. A low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, also promotes atherosclerosis.
- Diabetes : Diabetes patients have an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Obesity and high blood pressure are common risk factors for both conditions.
- Obesity : Being overweight typically exacerbates other risk factors.
- Physical inactivity. Low or no exercise is associated with coronary artery disease and some of its risk factors.
- High stress : Unmanaged mental stress in your life can harm your arteries and exacerbate other risk factors for coronary artery disease.
Symptoms
Narrowed coronary arteries are unable to supply your heart with enough oxygen-rich blood, especially when it is working hard, such as during exercise. Initially, the decreased blood flow may not result in any coronary artery disease symptoms. However, you may develop coronary artery disease symptoms as plaques accumulate in your coronary arteries. Symptoms are:
- Angina (chest pain). It is usually a sensation of pressure or tightness in your chest, as if someone is standing on it. This symptom, known as angina, is typically caused by physical or emotional stress. It subsides within minutes of ceasing the stressful activity. Some people, particularly women, may experience this pain as a fleeting or sharp sensation in their abdomen, back, or arm.
- Shortness of breath. If your heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet your body's needs during exercise, you may experience shortness of breath or extreme fatigue.
- Heart attack. A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery becomes completely blocked. A heart attack is typically characterised by crushing pressure in the chest and pain in the shoulder or arm, as well as shortness of breath and sweating. Women show fewer typical signs and symptoms. A heart attack can occur without any obvious signs or symptoms.
