If you are diagnosed with coronary artery disease, it may comfort you to know that billions of Americans suffer from the same condition. Coronary artery disease, also known as CAD, is a disease characterized by an insufficient blood supply to the heart, causing chest pain, or angina--possibly leading to a heart attack, or a myocardial infarction. CAD is diagnosed by recurrent episodes of angina, myocardial infarction, or visualization of the occluded coronary vessels on diagnostic imaging tests. Coronary artery disease, unless congenital, is preventable and treatable.
Coronary Anatomy
Your heart is a muscle that requires a constant supply of oxygenated blood to function. With each heartbeat, oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the left ventricle into your aorta and, in turn, into your coronary arteries to resupply the heart itself. These arteries supply the muscle that sustains life with the nutrients needed; when coronary arteries are diseased, the heart suffers damage.
Plaque Buildup
Coronary arteries are subject to narrowing, plaque buildup, spasms and thrombosis, or blood clots, which can alter their ability to provide enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart. The most common form of coronary artery disease stems from plaque buildup, which slows down and can completely block the blood from nourishing the heart. When this blockage occurs, the heart becomes bereft of oxygen and nutrients, and that portion will suffer a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Risk Factors
Some people are born genetically predisposed to coronary artery disease, having smaller blood vessels by nature, and have increased levels of cholesterol (the fatty substance that grows plaque inside the arteries) despite exercise and diet. A diet high in fats will increase your cholesterol. Smoking and drug use can cause the arteries to narrow and constrict--putting your heart’s blood supply at risk. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are also known contributors to coronary artery disease.
Diagnosing CAD
From blood tests to computed tomography (CT) to coronary angioplasty, the tests used to confirm a diagnosis of coronary artery disease are highly specific to your current health and medical history. If you are concerned about a family history of heart disease, or perhaps an elevated cholesterol level, you can be given other simple blood tests that will identify whether you are predisposed to CAD. If you have suffered from angina, or bouts of inexplicable chest pains, your physician may order a cardiac CT angiography. This is a noninvasive radiographic test that will give your physician a clear picture of your coronary arteries in less than an hour. If you are suffering known ischemia, or a loss of blood supply to your heart, indicative of a heart attack, you may get a cardiac catheterization. This involves threading a small catheter into the artery of your leg, up into into your cardiac arteries to inject a dye into the arteries so blockages and narrowed areas can be immediately visualized and repaired if needed.
Treatment
Treating coronary artery disease is specific to the progression of your disease. If you suffer mild angina, but have no known blockages, your cardiologist can continue to monitor your health status while prescribing medications that dilate (enlarge) the cardiac arteries, such as nitroglycerin. When there are known blockages, the physician must take into account the area of the blockage, your age and medical health before moving forward with a treatment plan. Treatment of this disease can range from routine monitoring to open heart surgery; the treatment plan will match the severity of your disease.
