Coronary Artery Disease Also called: CAD, Coronary arteriosclerosis, Coronary atherosclerosis Summary Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women. CAD happens when the arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. This is due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls. This buildup is called atherosclerosis. As it grows, less blood can flow through the arteries. As a result, the heart muscle can’t get the blood or oxygen it needs. This can lead to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Most heart attacks happen when a blood clot suddenly cuts off the hearts’ blood supply, causing permanent heart damage. Over time, CAD can also weaken the heart muscle and contribute to heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure means the heart can’t pump blood well to the rest of the body. Arrhythmias are changes in the normal beating rhythm of the heart. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Specifics Acute Coronary Syndrome American Heart Association Atherosclerosis National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Coronary Microvascular Disease (MVD) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Myocardial Ischemia Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Array Acute coronary syndrome Angioplasty and stent – heart – discharge Angioplasty and stent placement – heart Cardiac catheterization Coronary angiography Coronary artery disease Coronary artery spasm Coronary heart disease Find an Expert American Heart Association American Heart Association National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Related Issues Can Patients with Cardiovascular Disease Take Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs? American Heart Association Drug-Eluting Stents: Do They Increase Heart Attack Risk? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Vulnerable Plaque Texas Heart Institute What Causes Coronary Microvascular Disease? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute What You Need to Know If You Have Coronary Artery Disease American Heart Association Diagnosis and Tests Cardiac Catheterization National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Cardiac MRI National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Coronary Angiography National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Coronary Calcium Scan National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) Array Echocardiography National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Electrocardiogram National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute How Is Coronary Heart Disease Diagnosed? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute hs-CRP Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Intravascular Ultrasound Texas Heart Institute LDL Particle Testing American Association for Clinical Chemistry Lipid Profile American Association for Clinical Chemistry Nuclear Heart Scan National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Optical Coherence Tomography Texas Heart Institute Radial Artery Catheterization American Heart Association Screening for Coronary Heart Disease with Electrocardiography U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) American Heart Association Stress Testing National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Encyclopedia Cardiac catheterization – discharge Echocardiogram Electrocardiogram Exercise stress test Hardening of the arteries Heart CT scan Heart MRI Heart PET scan Hypertensive heart disease Intravascular ultrasound Left heart catheterization Left heart ventricular angiography Living with heart disease and angina Magnetic resonance angiography Nuclear stress test Nuclear ventriculography Stent Stress echocardiography VLDL test Treatments and Therapies Cardiac Procedures and Surgeries American Heart Association Coronary Artery Disease: Angioplasty or Bypass Surgery? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Coronary Artery Revascularization in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus American Heart Association How Is Coronary Heart Disease Treated? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute How Is Coronary Microvascular Disease Treated? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute MedlinePlus: Angioplasty National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus: Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery National Library of Medicine Stents National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Prevention and Risk Factors Cardiac Risk Assessment American Association for Clinical Chemistry How Can Coronary Heart Disease Be Prevented or Delayed? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute MedlinePlus: Heart Diseases–Prevention National Library of Medicine Understand Your Risk of Heart Attack American Heart Association What Are Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Who Is at Risk for Coronary Heart Disease? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Reference Desk Cardiovascular Glossary Texas Heart Institute Coronary Arteries Texas Heart Institute Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia American Heart Association How the Heart Works National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Coronary Artery Disease National Institutes of Health Questions and Answers: The NIH Trial of EDTA Chelation Therapy for Coronary Heart Disease Array Videos and Tutorials Coronary Angioplasty Stent Placement OR-Live Transradial Approach for Cardiac Catheterization: The New Frontier of Coronary Intervention OR-Live NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Coronary Artery Disease Coronary Artery Disease: Diagnosis & Treatment Signs and Symptoms of Artery Disease Understanding Arteries Start Here Coronary Artery Disease American Academy of Family Physicians Coronary Artery Disease – Coronary Heart Disease American Heart Association Coronary Heart Disease National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Genetics Genetics Home Reference: sitosterolemia National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Werner syndrome National Library of Medicine Health Check Tools Heart Attack Risk Assessment American Heart Association Living With Living with Coronary Heart Disease National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Living with Coronary Microvascular Disease National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute MedlinePlus: Cardiac Rehabilitation National Library of Medicine Women MedlinePlus: Heart Disease in Women National Library of Medicine Journal Articles Coronary artery disease Coronary thrombosis Statistics and Research Quality of Life After Bypass Surgery in Patients with Chest Pain and Heart Failure American College of Physicians Stress Imaging May Be Overused in Medicare Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Symptoms What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Latest News Mammograms May Also Help Spot Heart Disease, Study Suggests HealthDay
