Coronary Artery Disease

The end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the coronary arteries that supply the myocardium with nutrients and oxygen is coronary artery disease.  This is also known as coronary heart disease. The most common cause of coronary heart disease is coronary artery disease.

The leading cause of death worldwide is coronary artery disease. Most individuals show no evidence of the disease for decades as the disease progresses before the first sign of symptoms, which is often a “sudden” heart attack. After a long time of progression, some atheromatous plaque may rupture and start limiting blood flow to the heart muscle. The most common cause of sudden death is coronary artery disease.  Another interesting fact is that the most common reason for death of men and women over 20 years of age is coronary artery disease. Half of healthy 40-year-old males will develop coronary artery disease in the future. The chances for women over 40 years old are one in three.

Near-complete obstruction of the lumen of the coronary artery and severely restricting the flow of oxygen-carrying blood to the myocardium both happen as coronary artery disease progresses. Individuals who experience this degree of the coronary artery disease have typically suffered from one or more myocardial infarctions. These individuals may have signs and symptoms of chronic coronary ischemia.  This includes symptoms of angina at rest and flash pulmonary edema.

Myocardial ischemia means that there is an inadequate supply of blood to the tissue. The myocardium does not function optimally when it becomes ischemic. There can be impairment in the relaxation and contraction of the myocardium when large areas of the myocardium become ischemic.  Myocardial ischemia can be reversed if the blood flow to the tissue is improved. When the tissue has undergone irreversible death due to lack of sufficient oxygen rich blood it is considered infraction.

It is important for people to be screened and given coronary artery disease treatment as soon as possible because an individual may develop a rupture of an atheromatous plaque at any stage of coronary artery disease.