WHAT IS CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE?

The arteries, which start out smooth and elastic, get plaque on their inner walls, which can make them more rigid and narrowed. This restricts blood flow to your heart, which can then become starved of oxygen.

The plaque could rupture, leading to a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.

How does Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) develop?

From a young age, plaque can be formed in your blood vessel walls. As you get older, the plaque develops & inflames the vessel walls. It raises the risk of blood clots and heart attack.

Inflammatory cells, lipoproteins, calcium & other objects travel in your bloodstream and mix with the plaque.

As more of these inflammatory cells join in along with cholesterol, the plaque increases, both pushing the artery walls outward and growing inward. That makes the vessels narrower.

Eventually, a narrowed coronary artery may develop new blood vessels that go around the blockage to get blood to the heart. However, if you’re pushing yourself or stressed, the new arteries may not be able to bring enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.

In some cases, when plaque ruptures, a blood clot may block blood supply to the heart muscle. This causes a heart attack.

If a blood vessel to the brain is blocked (usually from a blood clot) an ischemic stroke can happen.

If a blood vessel within the brain bursts, most likely as a result of uncontrolled hypertension, a hemorrhagic stroke can result.

Studies have found that taking low-dose aspirin each day may help prevent heart attacks and strokes in people who are 50 or older and at risk for heart disease.

What Is Ischemia?

Cardiac ischemia is a condition when Oxygen-rich blood flow is restricted to your heart because of an artery becomes narrowed usually by plaque or fatty materials. This can cause heart attack with or without chest pain and any other symptoms.

Ischemia happens most during:

·         Exercise or other exertion 

·         Eating  n Excitement or stress                     

·         Exposure to cold

CAD can get to a point where ischemia happens even when you’re at rest. This is a medical emergency and may lead to a heart attack. Ischemia can happen without any warning although it is more common in people with diabetes.

What are the Symptoms of CAD?

The most common symptom is angina or chest pain.

Angina can be described as :

·         Heaviness 

·         Pressure 

·         Aching 

·         Burning 

·         Numbness

·         Fullness   

·         Squeezing 

·         Painful feeling

It can be mistaken as indigestion or heartburn.

Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the:

·         Left shoulder 

·         Arms 

·         Neck 

·         Back

Symptoms are often subtler in women. Nausea, sweating, fatigue, or shortness of breath can join the typical pressure-like chest pain.

Other symptoms that can occur with CAD include:

·         Shortness of breath 

·         Palpitations

·         Weakness or dizziness

Diagnosing CAD:

To find out your risk for CAD, your health care team may measure your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels. Being overweight, physically inactive, unhealthy diet and smoking tobacco are risk factors for CAD. A family history of heart disease also increases your risk for CAD. If you’re at high risk for heart disease or already have symptoms, your doctor can use several tests to diagnose CAD.