Coronary Heart Disease - A Simplified Class Review

by Nikolett Jakab for MIM Virtual Science Summer Camp 2013

What is Coronary Heart Disease?Coronary heart disease (CHD) occurs when a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries and so blocking the way for the oxygen-rich blood to flow freely. This is also called ischemia.

It may be chronic, caused by narrowing of the coronary artery and limitation of the blood supply to part of the muscle.

Or it can be acute, resulting from a sudden plaque that ruptures.

Symptoms

Chest pain or discomfort (angina) is the most common symptom. You feel this pain when the heart is not getting enough blood or oxygen. Women, elderly people, and people with diabetes are more likely to have symptoms other than chest pain, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and general weakness.

Risks

The traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease are high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, being post-menopausal for women and being older than 45 for men. Obesity may also be a risk factor.

Treatment

The treatment depends on the symptoms and how severe the disease is. Doctors can give one or more medicines to treat heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol.

Sources

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/Coronary-Artery-Disease---The-ABCs-of-CAD_UCM_436416_Article.jsp

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007115.htm