Coronary Artery Disease 

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), also called ischemic heart disease, is a disease that affects the blood vessels that nourish the heart muscle. CAD is actually a result of atherosclerosis.  Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty deposits, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances in the inner lining of an artery.  This build up is called plaque and it can grow large enough to reduce the blood flow in an artery (like a clogged drain). But most of the damage occurs when the plaque becomes fragile and suddenly ruptures. Plaques that rupture cause blood clots to form and can the flow of blood to vessels that feed the heart, causing a heart attack. When the blood flow is restricted and the heart muscle does not receive adequate oxygen death can occur.

While the precise causes of CAD are not known, there are many factors that may contribute to developing this disease. For your heart’s health, recognize early “warning signs” of CAD, understand what can be done if you suffer from the disease, and how yourself may be able to prevent (or slow) its progress.

If left untreated, coronary artery disease may cause damage to the heart muscle. This disease has increased greatly in the last 50 years and is now a leading cause of death in the Western world.

Risk Factors

• Family history (parents, siblings) of heart disease
• Overweight
• Smoking
• High stress
• Type A personality
• High fat diet (high cholesterol test results)
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• History of heart attack
• Low HDL (lipoprotein) level