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Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), also called ischemic heart disease, is a major cause of death throughout the world. Seven million Americans suffer from coronary heart disease and 500,000 die of "heart attacks" or coronary events each year.

What is Coronary Heart Disease?

Coronary heart disease is characterized by an imbalance in the blood supply and demand of cardiac tissue. The heart is a muscular pump which requires a constant blood supply for oxygen and nutrients. Decreased blood flow through coronary arteries which supply blood to heart muscle, or increasing demand on the heart workload, often results in an inadequate oxygen and nutrient supply for heart muscle to function normally.

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Atherosclerosis

The most frequent cause of reduced blood flow through the coronary arteries is atherosclerosis, a condition in which the inner layer of the arterial wall becomes thickened with deposits of fatty substances and cellular debris. The buildup of these deposits causes partial obstruction to normal blood flow (press to enlarge image) and frequently results in some form of chest pain known as angina.

Angina

The term "angina", is known as chest pain upon exertion; however, anginal pain can be experienced as pain in the arms and shoulders, particularly the left arm, or pain in the neck and jaw. It can also occur at rest. Angina is frequently described as "squeezing" or "pressing" pain and is frequently accompanied by shortness of breath or tightness in the chest. Sometimes a person has no pain; this is called silent angina.

What Are The Symptoms?

It is important to understand that the severity of symptoms varies widely in different people. Some persons experience no symptoms while others have such severe pain and shortness of breath that daily activity is limited. Thus, the treatment for CHD will vary accordingly.

Causes of CHD

Coronary artery disease is primarily caused by atherosclerosis. The buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances within the arterial lining of coronary arteries, causes narrowing of the diameter and decreased blood flow. The higher the level of circulating cholesterol or fatty substances, the greater the risk of developing CHD. This atherosclerotic process begins in most people during childhood and the teenage years, and worsens with age. Less common causes of CHD are coronary artery spasm and the formation or lodgement of a blood clot in a coronary artery.

Risk Factors

Lifestyle plays an important role in CHD. Many deaths could be prevented by avoiding lifestyle risk factors. The presence of any one of the first three factors, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or smoking, doubles a person's risk of developing CHD. Regular exercise and good nutrition are key to prevention of CHD.

In Diabetes Mellitus, risk increase for CHD is doubled in men, and possibly fourfold in women. Good diabetic control is essential. Other underlying factors, such as heredity or family history of the disease, gender (men are more frequently affected earlier in life) and age, cannot be changed.

For more on Risk Factors, see:
How Risk Factors Cause CHD

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Myocardial Infarction

In the most severe form of CHD, when blood flow is completely obstructed and the heart muscle is deprived of all oxygen, death of an isolated area of heart tissue occurs. This is known as myocardial infarction. Unlike angina, the tissue damage in myocardial infarction is irreversible.

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Links of interest:
How Risk Factors Cause Coronary Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
Elevated Cholesterol
Smoking
Fats:  What Are They?
Diabetes Mellitus

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