Coronary Artery Disease: The Most Common Heart Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD), or coronary heart disease, is a condition where the coronary arteries are narrowed as a result of plaque. Over 13 million Americans have coronary artery disease, and about 500,000 die from it each year.
What Causes Coronary Artery Disease?
Coronary artery disease is caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries. The arterial plaque consists of fat, cholesterol, calcium and various other materials found in the blood.
 

Two Kinds of Arterial Plaque
The plaque buildup in the arteries may be either hard or soft:

  • Hard plaques thicken and harden the arterial walls and frequently cause angina and heart attacks.
  • Soft plaques weaken the arterial walls. They're likely to rupture, resulting in blood clots that may cause a heart attack.

Coronary Artery DiseaseSymptoms of Coronary Heart Disease

The symptoms of coronary heart disease vary among CAD patients. Some people experience no symptoms at all while others may have slight to severe chest pain. Still others may have shortness of breath. Some people are unaware that they have coronary heart disease until they have a heart attack.

Treating Coronary Artery Disease

Many treatment options are available to those suffering from coronary artery disease. The options depend on the severity of the disease and the choices made by the doctor and patient.

Usually, if the disease is not too severe, simple lifestyle changes may be all that is recommended. Some lifestyle change suggestions might include:
  • smoking cessation
  • a low fat and low cholesterol diet
  • regular exercise
  • stress reduction.

The doctor may prescribe medications to prevent CAD from advancing any further, or to reduce the likelihood of later complications. Some medications prescribed are:

  • cholesterol-lowering drugs
  • ACE inhibitors
  • blood thinners
  • beta blockers
  • calcium channel blockers
  • nitroglycerin
  • other long-acting nitrates
  • antiplatelet medications
  • anticoagulants.
Some cases of coronary artery disease may warrant surgery. Two of the more common procedures for CAD are angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery.

Resources

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (updated 2004). Coronary artery disease.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (updated 2003). Coronary artery disease.

Texas Heart Institute. (updated 2004). Coronary artery disease.

The National Women's Health Information Center. (updated 2002). Coronary artery disease.