Coronary artery atherosclerosis is a disease in which fat plaques deposit on the walls of the coronary artery that supply the heart with blood, this leads to its thickening, blockage and the development of coronary artery disease. It may cause a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. Coronary artery disease is the most common heart disease and it affects 7.2% of people around the world.
Many people don’t feel any symptoms until having a heart attack which has many symptoms such as:
Chest pain or discomfort
Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders
Shortness of breath
Weakness
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Cold sweat
Go to the hospital immediately if you have any of these symptoms, then follow up with a Cardiologist afterwards
Many risk factors may lead to coronary artery atherosclerosis such as:
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Smoking
Family history
Genetic cause
Diagnostic tests are done to examine the presence of damage in the heart and other organs.
Electrocardiogram (a simple test to examine the rhythm and electrical activity of the heart using skin-attached sensors to detect the electrical signals produced by the heart during each beat).
Echocardiogram (a type of ultrasound scan that is used to examine the heart valves and how it pumps blood to the body to know if there’s structural heart disease).
Stress test (a test in which a treadmill is used to walk on it while doing an ECG to examine the state of the heart during exercise or making effort).
Chest x-ray (an imaging technique to create a picture of the heart and lungs).
Cardiac catheterization (a thin flexible tube is inserted through a blood vessel till it reaches the heart. this is done to examine the heart and its blood vessels and may be used for diagnosis and treatment as well if needed.
Laboratory tests (a blood sample is used to examine the level of cardiac enzymes in addition to other tests).
Medications: Many medications are used to treat coronary artery disease such as:
Aspirin, Clopidogrel: To prevent blood clots.
Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin: To reduce the blood cholesterol.
Carvedilol, Metoprolol tartrate, Captopril, Enalapril: To lower the blood pressure.
Nitroglycerin: To widen the arteries and relieve chest pain.
Surgeries:
Cardiac catheterization: The Cardiologist uses a catheter to open the blocked artery and may use a stent to keep it open.
Open-heart surgery: The Cardiologist takes a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body to create a new path for the blood instead of the narrowed blocked one.
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