Coronary Disease

"Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease in the United States. For some people, the first sign of CAD is a heart attack. Therefore, taking steps to reduce your risk for CAD is essential. Research suggests that CAD, also referred to as coronary heart disease, starts when certain factors damage the inner layers of the coronary arteries. These factors include smoking, high levels of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure, and high levels of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes.\n\nWhen damage occurs, your body starts a healing process. The healing may cause plaque to build up where the arteries are damaged. Plaque is made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances in the artery. This progression of plaque buildup is called atherosclerosis. The buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries may start in childhood. Over time, plaque can narrow or block some of your coronary arteries. This reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture. If this happens, blood cell fragments called platelets will stick to the site of the injury and may clump together to form blood clots. Blood clots narrow the coronary arteries even more and worsen angina or cause a heart attack. Over time, CAD can weaken the heart muscle. This may lead to heart failure, a serious condition where the heart can’t pump blood the way that it should. An irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, also can develop."