Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease refers to narrowing of the coronary arteries by plaque, often due to atherosclerotic disease of the heart arteries. In the United States alone, about 5 million people are diagnosed with coronary artery disease every year.

Coronary artery disease presents initially either as angina, myocardial infarction, sudden death or congestive heart failure. About half a million people die yearly in the United States due to this disease.

Here's a list of the risk factors for coronary artery disease:

1. Male sex
2. Aging
3. Smoking cigarettes
4. Diabetes mellitus
5. Hypertension
6. Family history of coronary heart disease
7. High cholesterol
8. Obesity
9. Sedentary lifestyle

While some factors can't be modified, some could. So if you have any of the above conditions try to regulate them either with medication, diet or exercise.

When the blood flow to the heart is reduced, this will result either in angina or myocardial infarct. Factors that can precipitate this in people with coronary artery disease are: anemia, stress, exercise, low oxygen, fast heart beat and hypertension.

Usually persons with this disease present with pain, pressure or burning in the chest. This pain is usually triggered by exercise, emotion, eating a big meal or exposure to cold. The pain could radiate to the neck, shoulders, back or arms. Accompanying symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, sweat, nausea or abdominal bloating can also occur. The pain lasts usually 5 to 10 minutes and dissapers with rest or sublingual nitroglycerin.

The first step in treatment is to correct all the risk factors for coronary artery disease. A low fat, low cholesterol diet, regular exercise and smoking cessation have all been shown to have beneficial effects. Next, medications are used to control lipids and hypertension. There are a number of medications used to control coronary artery disease and usually a combination of these will be prescribed by your doctor: organic nitrates, B-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and aspirin. In some people it is necessary to perform mechanical revascularization through invasive procedures. These can either open up the blocked arteries (coronary angioplasty, stent placement, atherectomy) or add another vessel to bypass the diseased part (coronary artery bypass graft).