What is coronary heart disease?
Coronary Heart Disease is a condition which
affects the vessels which supply the heart's muscle with blood,
oxygen and nutrients.
If these blood vessels (coronary arteries) become partially blocked,
a person can have decreased heart function and may experience
pain in the chest, arm, neck or jaw (angina). If the vessels
become completely blocked, some of the heart muscle can die,
which is called a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Blood vessels can become narrowed from fat and cholesterol build-up
inside the artery walls, which is a disease known as atherosclerosis.
The disease process can start when conditions, like high blood
pressure (hypertension), diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking,
cause damage to artery walls. The body tries to repair the damage,
but in the process, fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances
can be deposited in artery walls. Over time this build-up (plaque)
can narrow the artery walls and can also develop a hard fibrous
cap. If this fibrous cap ruptures, a blood clot can form and
completely block the blood vessel, leading to a heart attack.
In some cases, a vessel can also be blocked by a spasm in the
artery. Spasms can occur and lead to heart attacks in vessels
with or without atherosclerosis.
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How common is coronary heart disease?
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading
cause of death in the United States and kills over 400,000 men
and women each year.
One out of every five deaths is due to CHD. One-third of people
who have a heart attack do not survive it. In addition, over
12 million Americans are currently living with coronary heart
disease pain and/or heart problems.
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Who is at risk?
Both men and women are at risk of developing
CHD, however it is not usually seen in men younger than 40 or
in women of reproductive
age. There are many different factors that affect the risk of
CHD. Some of these risk factors cannot be altered, like family
history, advanced age and sex, but there are many others that
can be changed or controlled, like smoking, exercise, body weight,
cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. There are many
lifestyle factors and medications that can help reduce the risk
of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and heart attack.
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How can you prevent it?
There are many things that you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease, like:
- not smoking
- avoiding second-hand smoke (also called environmental tobacco smoke)
- eating well
- maintaining a healthy weight
- exercising regularly
- avoiding high blood pressure
- treating diabetes but still have elevated risk
- controlling your cholesterol levels
If you already have heart disease or risk factors for it, it
is important to see your doctor regularly to address lifestyle
issues and medications that can help treat your condition.
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Who should be screened?
For people without symptoms, there is no good screening test
for CHD. If you have symptoms or risk factors, your doctor
may want to do an electrocardiogram (EKG) to look at the electrical
activity of your heart, or some other test to examine your
heart function.
People of all ages should be screened periodically for risk
factors of CHD: diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol
levels and overweight/obesity.
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What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom of CHD is chest
pain, but coronary heart disease can also be "silent" causing
a heart attack or sudden death without any warning signs. The "classic" symptom
of a heart attack is pain or pressure in the chest that can
spread to the arm, shoulder, neck or jaw. This pain/pressure
may also come with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or
lightheadedness. Some people experience abdominal pain, nausea,
shortness of breath, palpitations or weakness without any chest
pain. If you have any of these symptoms,
see a doctor immediately.
For more information on Coronary Heart Disease, visit these web sites:
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