Major Concerns for Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease occurs when the blood vessels that carry oxygen and blood to the heart become damaged, diseased or clogged with plaque. As coronary artery disease progresses, it can lead to a number of major health concerns.

Angina

• As the arteries narrow from CAD, the heart often becomes deprived of oxygen. This sometimes leads to angina, or chest pain, as well as breathlessness.

Heart Attack

• When plaque on the walls of vessels in CAD patients breaks free, it often blocks the artery, resulting in a heart attack. Heart attacks can lead to permanent damage of the heart or brain due to lack of oxygen.

Heart Failure

• If CAD progresses in such a way that sections of the heart continually suffer from lack of oxygen, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. This phenomenon is known as heart failure.

Arrhythmia

• When CAD causes oxygen to be cut off from the heart, it may disturb the heart's beating pattern. The term for this irregular heartbeat is arrhythmia.

Significance

• Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. In 2005 alone, it caused 445,687 deaths.