Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease occurs when the major arteries that supply blood to the heart become damaged and results in blockage of the vessels. This situation results in decreased flow of oxygen to the heart muscle which can cause the tissue to die off. This is then called a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Causes and risk factors

Various factors have been associated with the development of coronary artery disease. These issues lead to damage of the inner wall of these arteries which leads to them becoming narrowed and blocked, and they include:

• Smoking.
• High cholesterol levels.
• High blood pressure/hypertension.
• Uncontrolled diabetes.
• Being physically inactive.

Further risk factors for developing coronary heart disease include the following issues:

• Being overweight or obese.
• Having a family history of this disease, especially if your father or a brother was diagnosed before the age of 55 or if your mother or a sister developed it before the age of 65.
• High stress levels due to emotional and physical stressors.

Symptoms

The following are symptoms that can be experienced when there is reduced oxygen transport to the heart.

• Chest pain - also called angina, the patient feels pressure or tightness in the centre of the chest. Angina is usually triggered by emotional or physical stress.
• Shortness of breath - this develops because the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's oxygen and nutrient needs.
• Heart attack - this occurs when there's complete blockage of the arteries The classic symptoms and signs include a crushing pressure in the chest with referred pain to the arm or shoulder, sometimes with sweating and shortness of breath.

Women can experience sharp or fleeting pain in the neck, arm or back.

READ How to survive a heart attack when you are all alone?

Complications

Coronary artery disease that remains untreated of is poorly controlled can result in the following complications:

• Heart attack - the lack of oxygen to the heart, due to a complete blockage of these arteries, can result in the heart muscle becoming damaged. This can be potentially fatal, but can result in further complications for the heart. The amount of damage that occurs depends on which coronary artery was affected and how quickly one receives treatment.
• Heart failure - damaged to the heart muscle by a heart attack can result in the heart becoming dysfunctional or too weak to be able to pump blood effectively enough throughout the body. This condition is known as heart failure and can result in shortness of breath and swelling of the limbs due to fluid build-up in the body.
• Abnormal heart rhythm - poor blood flow to the heart or damage to heart tissue can cause problems with the conduction system of the heart and therefore mess around with the heart's electrical impulses. This results in abnormal heart rhythms, otherwise known as arrhythmias, that may need treatment if they cause bothersome symptoms for the patient.