Coronary Heart Disease

Diagnosis - Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Heart Disease
The inside walls of your arteries are normally smooth and flexible, which allows blood to flow through them easily. Over the years, fatty deposits may build up on the inside of an artery's wall.

As these fatty deposits, called plaque, continue to build up, they narrow the artery and can reduce or even block the flow of blood.

When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the result is coronary heart disease. Blood flow in the coronary arteries may be reduced enough to cause angina or heart attack.

Angina is pain or discomfort in the chest, arm, or jaw that occurs when not enough blood flows to the heart muscle. It typically occurs during physical exertion or emotional stress, when the heart works harder and needs more oxygen.

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when a coronary artery becomes totally blocked, usually by a blood clot. This cuts off the blood supply to an area of the heart muscle and causes that part of the heart muscle to die.

Following a heart attack, the damaged heart may not pump as well as a normal heart. This may lead to heart failure. In heart failure, fluid tends to build up in the lungs and other parts of the body. Common symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breaih, swelling of the feet and legs, and fatigue.

Heart failure can be caused by any medical condition that injures the heart or makes the heart work too hard for a long lime. Common causes include a past heart attack, high blood pressure, heart muscle disease, and heart valve disease.

If your doctor suspects that you have coronary heart disease or heart failure, he or she may recommend that you have cardiac catheterization.





	Diagnosis - Coronary Heart Disease Coronary Heart Disease The inside walls of your arteries are normally smooth and flexible, which allows blood to flow through them easily. Over the years, fatty deposits may build up on the inside of an artery's wall. As these fatty deposits, called plaque, continue to build up, they narrow the artery and can reduce or even block the flow of blood. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the result is coronary heart disease. Blood flow in the coronary arteries may be reduced enough to cause angina or heart attack. Angina is pain or discomfort in the chest, arm, or jaw that occurs when not enough blood flows to the heart muscle. It typically occurs during physical exertion or emotional stress, when the heart works harder and needs more oxygen. A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when a coronary artery becomes totally blocked, usually by a blood clot. This cuts off the blood supply to an area of the heart muscle and causes that part of the heart muscle to die. Following a heart attack, the damaged heart may not pump as well as a normal heart. This may lead to heart failure. In heart failure, fluid tends to build up in the lungs and other parts of the body. Common symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breaih, swelling of the feet and legs, and fatigue. Heart failure can be caused by any medical condition that injures the heart or makes the heart work too hard for a long lime. Common causes include a past heart attack, high blood pressure, heart muscle disease, and heart valve disease. If your doctor suspects that you have coronary heart disease or heart failure, he or she may recommend that you have cardiac catheterization. The information contained in this web site is presented for information purposes only, and is not intended to substitute in any way a consultation with a physician or competent healthcare professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment.