Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Heart Disease – commonly referred to as CHD, is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart. CHD is also called coronary artery disease.

Causes

• Atherosclerosis (a build of a fatty material and plaque that narrows arteries)
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• High LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Smoking

Symptoms

• Angina (chest pain)
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue (with exercise)
• A feeling of heaviness in the chest

Diagnosis:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Exercise stress test
• Stress echocardiogram
• Nuclear stress test
• Coronary calcium score
• CT angiogram

Treatment Options:

• Low fat diet, like Mediterranean diet or low carbohydrate diets
• Supervised aerobic exercise
• Medication to prevent high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood clots
• Cardiac catheterization with procedures like angioplasty or stenting (helps blood flow)
• Coronary artery bypass surgery

Importance: this type of heart disease affects both men and women and can lead to serious conditions, and even death. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Unstable angina
• Sudden death