Coronary artery disease is also called CAD, or atherosclerotic heart failure. Coronary artery disease is when there is damage or disease in the heart’s major blood vessel that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients. It is a very common disease as it happens in about 3 million US cases per year. Although treatment can help, it can never be cured. It can last for years or be lifelong. Since the disease develops over the course of decades, it may be hard to detect unless there is a significant blockage or a heart attack. This can be easily prevented by living a healthy lifestyle.
      

Symptoms can range from no symptoms at all to later developing symptoms. Symptoms include chest pain (angina), shortness of breath and a heart attack, tightness, burning or sweating. Chest pain can last a few moments usually on the left or middle side of the chest and is more likely to affect more places in women such as the back, arm and neck but this can still occur in men. You may get shortness of breath or extreme fatigue with exertion because your body isn’t being supplied with enough blood to meet your body’s needs. For a heart attack to happen, you need to have a completely blocked coronary artery. Signs of a heart attack include crushing pressure in the chest, pain in the shoulder or arm, sweating or shortness of breath. This symptoms are more likely to be seen in men than women. Women may experience different symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, jaw pain, and back pain that men aren’t as prone to getting.
           

The four coronary arteries include the right main coronary artery, the left main coronary artery, left circumflex artery, and the left anterior descending artery. The most common cause of CAD is vascular injury with cholesterol plague buildup in the arteries, which is known as atherosclerosis. Reduced blood flow occurs when one or more of these arteries becomes partially or completely blocked. This is something that can occur as early as childhood or when you’re much older. It can be caused by various factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, insulin resistance, and sedentary lifestyle.

Risk factors differ among people. Age is a factor because you get higher risks of getting narrowed and damaged arteries. The gender of the person plays a factor as men are more likely to get coronary artery disease but once women hit menopause they have an increase of getting it. The family history can show if other people in your family family has had higher risk on it then you ultimately could have a higher risk especially if they were diagnosed before age 55. First hand smoking and second hand smoking also increases your risk. High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaque and atherosclerosis. Diabetes shows to have a greater risk especially type 2 diabetes because type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease share the same risk factors such as obesity and high blood pressure. High blood pressure that is uncontrollable can result is hardening and thickening of the arteries which narrows the blood flow channel. Other factors are being overweight, having high stress levels, having excessive amounts of alcohol, having an unhealthy diet, sleep apnea and if you aren’t physical and active.
           

There are some main tests that are used to diagnose coronary artery disease. You also need a review of your medical history and a physical examination. One test used is the electrocardiogram which monitors electrical signals that travel through your heart which helps determines if you have had a heart attack or not. Another test is the echocardiogram which shows uses imaging testing to create a picture of your heart using ultrasound waves. This shows if everything is working properly in your heart. The third test is a heart CT scan which can also be called a coronary calcium scan as it looks at where the buildup of calcium is in your arteries. The fourth test is a stress test. A stress test is used to measure your stress while being physical and when you are resting. They would ride a stationary bike or walk on a treadmill and if they are unable to, they can be given certain medicines to see their stress levels. The last test is the cardiac catheterization which is when doctors insert a catheter with special dye into the forearm or groin of an artery. The dye helps to identify and enhance blockages in the coronary arteries through radiographic imaging. After all that testing, doctors then can make a diagnosis if you have coronary artery disease or not.

There are different ways to prevent it from developing in the first place. Different methods are taken for different people and how severe their case is. Some ways are to control conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Some medications taken to decrease high cholesterol are atorvastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin. Some medications that decrease high blood pressure are atenolol and metoprolol. Other ways would be to quit smoking and live a healthier lifestyle by staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress and eating foods that are low fat and low salt. Although a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent it, other types of medications may be used to assist. Blood thinners such as clopidogrel and aspirin can help prevent blood clots from forming. To reduce chest pain and pressure caused by blockages in the arteries of the heart you can take nitroglycerin and isosorbide. Lastly, amlodipine relaxes blood vessels while also treating high blood pressure and chest pain.
           

If nothing is working and your case is getting severe, other treatments can be used such as a medical procedure can be used. There are a few different types of procedures used. One procedure is a coronary angioplasty. A coronary angioplasty is to open arteries in the heart that are clogged. They use a tiny balloon to widen the artery and inflate it once reaching the blocked artery and a stent which is inserted in the artery to prevent it from closing to the blood can continue to flow. It is usually performed by a cardiologist at the same time between the balloon and the stent. Risks include an infection, heart attack, blockage of the stented artery, bleeding, etc. Overall risks are greater when not getting the procedure then when the procedure isn’t done. Furthermore, surgery can be another option if it is very severe. Heart bypass surgery is used to replace damaged arteries that supply blood to your heart muscle. When oxygenated blood is being blocked, then the heart isn’t working properly which can lead to heart failure. Depending on how many arteries are blocked, will depend on which surgery you get. You can get a single bypass, double bypass, triple bypass, and quadruple bypass. A cardiologist and multiple other doctors will determine if you are healthy and suitable for the surgery but things like diabetes, kidney disease, emphysema and peripheral arterial disease may create complications for the surgery to be completed. Before getting the surgery, many tests need to be performed to see an accurate picture of the patients. Blood samples, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), and an angiogram are the tests needed to get the most accurate picture. The surgery takes about 3-6 hours and general anesthesia is taken. A long incision over the chest is cut and then the ribcage is spread so you can able to see the heart. They stop the heart temporarily while using a heart-lung machine to help maintain blood circulation throughout the body. After the surgeon takes an artery from the chest wall that is usually the internal mammary artery or from the lower leg. Then they put the healthy artery and attach it to ends above and below the blocked artery so that blood flow is diverted around the narrowed portion of the diseased artery. It is a major surgery so you should expect a long recovery period depending on if there is complications or not.
          

All in all, coronary artery disease is a major disease that you should pay attention to because it has serious risks and is life threatening. Always monitor if you are having some of the symptoms and if you are, see a doctor right away to get checked. If you are at risk, it is important to talk to your doctor openly about it because they know what is best for you and will have the best scans and tests for the best treatment possible. Always try your best to prevent getting the disease by living a healthy life. A healthy life is the best thing possible you can do for your body.