Acute ischemic heart disease is medically termed coronary heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Coronary heart disease is the narrowing of small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. When arteries narrow, they prevent a sufficient amount of blood and oxygen from reaching the heart muscle. This can result in heart attack, stroke and eventually death, according to the MayoClinic.com.
Development
The main cause of coronary heart disease is a condition termed atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs when fatty materials and other substances, termed plaque, stick to the arterial walls. Plaque continues to grow and build on the arterial walls, causing the arteries to narrow. Narrowed arterial walls reduce the amount of blood that can flow through the arteries to supply the heart with oxygen. MedlinePlus states the arterial walls eventually harden and become less elastic from the constant increased pressure of forcing blood through the partly obstructed, plaque-filled arteries.
Modifiable Risk Factors
A person's risk for coronary heart disease increases based on multiple factors, some of which are modifiable, while others are not. Modifiable risk factors involve life choices, such as smoking, diet and exercise. Smoking greatly increases risk for coronary heart disease because carbon monoxide damages the lining of the arterial walls, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis, according to the MayoClinic.com. A person who consumes foods high in fat, salt and cholesterol is more likely to develop chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. These chronic conditions play a role in the formation of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, according to the MayoClinic.com.
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors
People do not have control over their age, sex and family history, making them non-modifiable risk factors. As people age they are more likely to have damaged and narrowed arteries, as well as a weakened or thickened heart. The MayoClinic.com reports men are more susceptible to developing heart disease than women, until women go through menopause, then their chances increase substantially. Family history has a dramatic impact on whether or not a person will develop heart disease. MayoClinic.com says that anyone who has had a parent, sibling or child develop heart disease before age 55 greatly increases their own risk.
Heart Attack and Stroke
Coronary heart disease can eventually lead to heart attack or stroke. Heart attacks occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a heart artery. The lack of blood flow to the heart causes the heart muscle to die or become permanently damaged, according to MedlinePlus.
A stroke occurs when a blood clot in the body breaks loose and travels to the brain. The blood clot stops blood from flowing through a brain artery, causing a lack of blood to reach the brain. Brain cells and tissues begin to die within just a few minutes due to lack of oxygen, causing permanent damage, according to MedlinePlus.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Untreated coronary heart disease can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. In fact, the MayoClinic.com states sudden cardiac arrest primarily occurs from underlying heart conditions, particularly from coronary heart disease. During cardiac arrest the heart stops functioning, the person stops breathing and loses consciousness. Cardiac arrest occurs suddenly, when something disrupts the electrical flow in the heart which maintains the pumping action. A disturbance of the electrical system causes the heart to stop, thus stopping blood flow. Sudden cardiac arrest is fatal if not treated immediately.
