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Alternative names:
Coronary Heart Disease, Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease, Arteriosclerosis, Narrowing of the Arteries, Atherosclerosis
What is coronary artery disease?
What are the signs of coronary artery disease?
What causes coronary artery disease?
How does my doctor tell if I have coronary artery disease?
How is coronary artery disease treated?
What is coronary artery disease?
Coronary artery disease, or arteriosclerosis, is the narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to and from your heart. This narrowing can cause many heart problems, including angina, heart attack, congestive heart failure, and peripheral arterial disease. It is also a leading cause of stroke.
What are the signs of coronary artery disease?
The disease can cause:
What causes coronary artery disease?
As you age, your arteries can become clogged from a buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances, reducing your heart's ability to deliver blood. A number of things contribute to this buildup, including:
- A diet high in saturated fat
- High cholesterol levels
- Being overweight
- Not exercising regularly
- Smoking, which damages your blood vessels
- Aging. Your blood vessels become less flexible as you grow older.
How does my doctor tell if I have coronary artery disease?
Your doctor may wish to perform one or more of the following tests to see if you have coronary artery disease:
- An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) measures the electrical activity of your heart. It helps your doctor see how well your heart beats, and can tell if your heart muscle has been damaged in any way. A technician puts small metal disks—electrodes—on your skin to read the pattern of electrical impulses from your heart. The test only takes a few minutes.
- In an exercise stress test, a patient is first hooked up to monitoring equipment, which may include an electrocardiogram, and then told to walk slowly on a treadmill. A technician adjusts the speed and angle of the treadmill to make the patient's heart work harder. Afterwards, the technician may perform an echocardiogram.
- An echocardiogram uses sound waves to make a picture of your heart. Your doctor sees this image on a television monitor, and can examine how well your heart works. The test takes about 45 minutes, and is painless.
- In a heart catheterization, the doctor injects dye into the heart arteries and measures the blood flow and blood pressure in the heart chambers
How is coronary artery disease treated?
There are many ways to treat coronary artery disease, and lower your risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
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Lifestyle |
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Lose weight if you are overweight |
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Start a program of regular exercise |
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Adjust your diet to reduce saturated fat and sodium, and increase fruits, vegetables, and fiber |
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Quit smoking if you smoke |
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Medications |
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Beta-blockers decrease the heart rate and lower blood pressure by blocking the effects of adrenalin |
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ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II inhibitors open arteries and reduce the workload of the heart |
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ACE inhibitors block an enzyme that raises your blood pressure |
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| Surgical |
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Angioplasty uses a tiny balloon, laser, or blade to widen the artery to improve blood flow. Usually a stent—a small metal tube—is implanted to prevent an artery from re-narrowing. With the patient awake and under local pain medicine a thin, flexible tube (catheter) is inserted in an artery (usually near the groin). Most patients are home within a day or two, and back to work within a few days. |
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In coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a segment of vein from the leg or a natural artery from the chest wall is used to route blood around a narrowed heart artery. Bypass surgery usually involves a hospitalization of about a week and a month-long recovery period. Most patients do not return to work until two to three months after surgery. |
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