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Fact Analysis
What is coronary heart disease?
Coronary Heart Disease is a condition which affects the vessels which supply
the heart's muscle with blood, oxygen and nutrients. If these blood vessels
(coronary arteries) become partially blocked, a person can have decreased heart
function and may experience pain in the chest, arm, neck or jaw (angina). If
the vessels become completely blocked, some of the heart muscle can die, which
is called a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Blood vessels can become narrowed from fat and cholesterol build-up inside the
artery walls, which is a disease known as atherosclerosis. The disease process
can start when conditions, like high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes,
high cholesterol and smoking, cause damage to artery walls. The body tries to
repair the damage, but in the process, fat, cholesterol, calcium and other
substances can be deposited in artery walls. Over time this build-up (plaque)
can narrow the artery walls and can also develop a hard fibrous cap. If this
fibrous cap ruptures, a blood clot can form and completely block the blood
vessel, leading to a heart attack.
In some cases, a vessel can also be blocked by a spasm in the artery. Spasms
can occur and lead to heart attacks in vessels with or without atherosclerosis.
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How common is coronary heart disease?
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the
United States and kills over 400,000 men and women each year. One out of every
five deaths is due to CHD. One-third of people who have a heart attack do not
survive it. In addition, over 12 million Americans are currently living with
coronary heart disease pain and/or heart problems.
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Who is at risk?
Both men and women are at risk of developing CHD, however it is not
usually seen in men younger than 40 or in women of reproductive age. There are
many different factors that affect the risk of CHD. Some of these risk factors
cannot be altered, like family history, advanced age and sex, but there are
many others that can be changed or controlled, like smoking, exercise, body
weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. There are many lifestyle
factors and medications that can help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis,
coronary heart disease and heart attack.
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How can you prevent it?
There are many things that you can do to reduce your risk of heart
disease, like:
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not smoking
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avoiding second-hand smoke (also called environmental tobacco smoke)
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eating well
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maintaining a healthy weight
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exercising regularly
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avoiding high blood pressure
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treating diabetes but still have elevated risk
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controlling your cholesterol levels
If you already have heart disease or risk factors for it, it is important to see
your doctor regularly to address lifestyle issues and medications that can help
treat your condition.
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Who should be screened?
For people without symptoms, there is no good screening test for CHD.
If you have symptoms or risk factors, your doctor may want to do an
electrocardiogram (EKG) to look at the electrical activity of your heart, or
some other test to examine your heart function.
People of all ages should be screened periodically for risk factors of CHD:
diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels and
overweight/obesity.
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What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom of CHD is chest pain, but coronary heart disease can
also be "silent" causing a heart attack or sudden death without any warning
signs. The "classic" symptom of a heart attack is pain or pressure in the chest
that can spread to the arm, shoulder, neck or jaw. This pain/pressure may also
come with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or lightheadedness. Some people
experience abdominal pain, nausea, shortness of breath, palpitations or
weakness without any chest pain. If you have any of these symptoms, see a
doctor immediately.
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