Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is most common heart disease seen in adults. It affects the coronary arteries which are blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. There are caused due to blockages which are produced due to a composition of fats & cholesterol in the blood vessel. This leads to atherosclerosis causing reduction in flow in these blood vessels due to mechanical obstruction (plaque) or increasing the viscosity of blood (thrombus) leading to coronary artery disease. There are three main blood vessels to the heart. Problem occurs when one or more vessels get blocked partially or totally and patients become symptomatic.

Common Causes :

• Diabetes Mellitus (Uncontrolled blood sugars)

• Systemic Hypertension. (High Blood pressure)

• Tobacco consumption.

• Morbid obesity.

• Sedentary lifestyle. (Not physically active).

Symptoms include chest pain, sweating and breathing difficulty. When there is complete blockage of blood flow, it leads to a heart attack. Here patient can present with severe chest pain or one can fall unconscious.

Treatment for coronary artery disease include urgent medical care, early hospitalization, timely diagnosis, medication followed by early intervention in the form of re-vascularization.

Prevention is always better than cure. Healthy well balanced diet, daily exercise and/or brisk walking, timely health check up, Healthy lifestyle by avoiding tobacco consumption are all proven to minimize the risk of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

When there is a detection of CAD, it requires urgent care. In-order to detect CAD when patients present with chest pain, breathing difficulty, sweating or unconsciousness (any one or more of these), once they are admitted at the hospital, they undergo blood tests, ECG, 2D ECHO and Coronary Angiogram to check for CAD.