heart and blood vessel disorders
Overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Causes of CAD
Coronary artery disease is almost always due to the gradual buildup of cholesterol and other fatty materials (called atheroma or atherosclerotic plaque) in the wall of a coronary artery. This process is called Atherosclerosis and can affect many arteries, not just those of the heart. Themost common reasonfor abnormal reduction in blood flow to the heart is Atherosclerosis Other causesof abnormal blood flow reduction to the heart include Spasm of a coronary artery, which can occur spontaneously or result from use of certain drugs such ascocaineandnicotine Endothelial dysfunction, which means that a coronary blood vessel does not widen (dilate) in response to a need for increased blood flow (such as during exercise), resulting in less blood flow than the heart needs Birth defects (for example, Overview of Heart Defects ) Coronary artery dissection (a tear running down the lining of a coronary artery) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (lupus) Inflammation of the arteries (arteritis) A blood clot that traveled from a heart chamber into one of the coronary arteries Physical damage (due to an injury or radiation therapy) As an atheroma grows, it may bulge into the artery, narrowing the interior (lumen) of the artery and partially blocking blood flow. With time, calcium accumulates in the atheroma. As an atheroma blocks more and more of a coronary artery, the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle (myocardium) can become inadequate. The blood supply is more likely to be inadequate during exertion, when the heart muscle requires more blood. An inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle (due to any cause) is called myocardial ischemia. If the heart does not receive enough blood, it can no longer contract and pump blood normally. Acute Coronary Syndromes (Heart Attack; Myocardial Infarction; Unstable Angina) None 