Coronary heart disease is the most common form of cardiac problem, which often results in heart attack. Every year, over one million people die because of this disease in the United States of America. However, if proper action is taken at the right time, it can easily be prevented or controlled. Here is a brief rundown on the various aspects associated with the same.
What Happens In This Disease?
Sometimes, fatty substances or plaque builds up inside the walls of blood vessels. This eventually reduces the blood flow and adversely affects the coronary arteries. The formation of the blood clot also gradually becomes firm. The recurring process of clot formation, plaque rupture, and fatty build up progressively narrows the arteries, further reducing the blood flow. Because of all this, very little blood reaches the heart muscles. This specific medical condition is commonly referred to as coronary heart disease.
Risk Factors
The risk factors that may lead to this life threatening health condition can be classified into two categories – those that can be modified and those that cannot be modified. The risk factors that can be controlled, or prevented include diabetes, physical inactivity, overweight/obesity, high blood cholesterol, high blood cholesterol, and cigarette smoking. The risk factors that are out of one’s control include age factor and family history. Heart disease in women is common when they are older than 45 years. Likewise, men older than 55 years are more at risk to this type of cardiac disease.
Symptoms
The symptoms of coronary heart disease vary from one patient to another. In general, it starts with chest discomfort or chest pain, followed by shortness of breath. Unfortunately, if you did not pay much attention to your health condition earlier, you may directly have to face a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Cardiac arrest refers to a sudden, abrupt loss of heart function. Chest pain occurs because of critically reduced blood flow – much less than what the heart actually requires. The intensity and type of heart disease symptoms vary depending upon how specific the condition is. The patient may have to suffer from mild and intermittent, or a more pronounced and steady chest pain.
Medical Tests
When it comes to diagnosing coronary heart disease, a series of medical tests are performed, which includes Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Stress test, Nuclear scan, Coronary angiography (or arteriography), Ventriculogram, and Intracoronary ultrasound.
Special Procedures
The medical term for the process of plaque building is atherosclerosis. Sometimes, patients with advanced atherosclerosis may need to undergo special treatment procedures. The objective is to clear major or multiple blockages in blood vessels and ease severe chest pain by opening an artery and improving blood flow. The two most common procedures in this regard are coronary artery bypass graft operation and balloon angioplasty (or coronary angioplasty). In some cases, the health care provider may also use some other procedures, such as Laser angioplasty and Atherectomy.
However, it is very important for you to understand that medications and specifiable treatment procedures are only meant to prevent and control the symptoms of coronary heart disease, not cure the same.