Coronary Artery Diseases

Coronary heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscles get hardened and narrow. The arteries may harden and narrow due to the build up of plaque in the inner walls. Due to the deposits of plaque, the blood flow is affected and the amount of oxygen needed by the heart is affected causing heart disease.

Coronary heart disease refers to the deposits of plaque or cholesterol in the inner walls of arteries that block the flow of the blood, and due to which the oxygen supply to the heart is affected. This may lead to formation of blood clots and lead to heart attack.

Coronary Heart Disease Signs and Symptoms

Coronary heart disease varies both in symptoms and severity. Sometimes, it may produce no symptoms; at other times it may cause pain of varying degrees. It may also result in a heart attack.

• If the arteries are blocked but do not cause any pain, it is a kind of silent attack.
• If the coronary arteries cannot supply the blood to meet the oxygen demand of the heart; it may result in pain and cause angina.
• Sometimes, shortness of breath or extreme fatigue is symptom of coronary artery disease.
• A heart attack results when an artery to the heart muscle is completely blocked and the part of the heart muscle linked to that artery becomes numb.
  

Causes Of Coronary Artery Disease

• The arteries that carry oxygen rich blood away from heart to all parts of the body should be clean and slick. If the artery walls are injured they become more vulnerable to coronary disease.
• Atherosclerosis is the slow buildup of deposits called plaques inside the walls of the arteries. Plaques are deposits of fat, cholesterol and calcium and may lead to coronary disease.
• Due to accumulation of plaque, the arteries become narrow causing blockage in the flow of blood and it may also lead to clot formation.
• Eating high cholesterol and fats may also lead to deposits of fats in the arteries and coronary artery disease.

Risk Factors For Coronary Artery Disease

The risk factors that can be controlled to prevent coronary artery disease are

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Alcohol consumption

The risk factors that cannot be control and may lead to coronary heart disease are

• Male sex
• Hereditary and race
• Age factor

Treatment and Prevention

To treat and prevent coronary artery disease, several approaches and therapies can be used.

Lifestyle

• The first thing to do is to change the life style that has lead to artery disease.
• Smoking and alcohol should be avoided
• A healthy diet should be taken which is made up of fruits and vegetables, with smaller portions of meat.
• Regular exercise plays an important part in preventing coronary artery disease.

Medications

• Sometimes, medicines are also given by the doctors if the lifestyle change is not enough
• Cholesterol lowering drugs are given that can help in lowering the level of bad cholesterol that is LDL, and protect against coronary artery disease.
• Aspirins are given to make the blood thin and help in flow of blood.
• Beta blockers slow the heart rate and decrease blood pressure; they also reduce the risk of heart attack.
• Calcium channel blockers are also used to relax the muscles around the arteries and help vessels to open more increasing flow of blood.