Coronary Artery Disease

What is Coronary Artery Disease?

Coronary arteries are the major blood vessels that carry blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart. Coronary artery disease develops when your coronary artery gets damaged or afflicted. The building up of plaques causes the arteries to become narrow, thereby decreasing the flow of blood to the heart. Gradually, the decrease in the flow of blood may result in angina or chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. If there is a complete blockage, it may result in a heart attack.

Coronary artery disease gets developed over decades, and, therefore, can go unnoticed until the last phase of heart attack. Timely medication and preventive actions contribute a great deal. You could start by committing to a healthy lifestyle.

Symptoms

The most significant symptom of coronary artery disease is chest pain, or angina. It is usually mistaken for heartburn or ingestion. Angina can be characterized with pressure, ache, burning sensation, numbness, squeezing in the chest. Sometimes, it can also be experienced in the arms, left shoulder, jaw, neck or back.
Other symptoms might be –
Faster heartbeat.
Dizziness or weakness.
Shortness of breath.
Nausea.
Palpitations – Irregular heartbeats or skipped heartbeats.
Excessive sweating.

Causes

Some of the most probable causes of coronary artery disease include –

High Cholesterol.
High blood pressure.
Smoking.

Sedentary lifestyle and obesity.
Diabetes or insulin resistance.
Age

Risks

The prime risk factors include:
Smoking.
Obesity and overweight.
Fatigue and dizziness.
Improper diet.
High blood pressure.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of Coronary Artery Disease, one should take care of few things:
Management of stress.
Healthy eating.
Proper physical workout.
Quitting smoking.

How is it diagnosed?

At Medanta, your doctor might use any of these methods for diagnosis of the complexity of your problem –

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How is it treated?

The various methods employed to treat coronary artery disease are – 

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  • Changing Lifestyle

     It would be a benefit you a lot if you eat healthy food, shred the extra pounds, quit smoking and excessive drinking habits, exercise regularly, and reduce stress in life.

  • Taking Medication

    Several drugs can be administered, including the following –
    Cholesterol modifiers.
    Aspirin.
    Beta blockers.
    Nitroglycerin.
    Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACE)
    Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARB).

  • Surgeries

    Angioplasty and stent placement – The cardiologist inserts a slender tube called catheter into the blocked area of the artery. A deflated balloon is sent through a wire. Then, the balloon is inflated causing compression of deposits against the walls of the artery. Often, a stent is left in the artery to help it be open. Some of them gradually release to ease the process.

    Coronary artery bypass surgery – In this method, an experienced surgeon creates a graft. The graft bypasses the blocked coronary artery to another blood vessel. This changes the route of the blood flow. This is most often reserved for those with multiple occurrences, as it is an open-heart surgery.

When to contact a doctor?

If you have risk factors for coronary artery disease, such as use of tobacco, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, talk to your doctor immediately. Your doctor might want to test you for the condition, if you have symptoms of narrowed arteries

Book an Appointment

How does Medanta provide care?

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Consult with experienced doctors

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