Overview

What is Coronary artery disease?

Coronary artery disease (CAD), also sometimes appertained to as coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease, is the most common type of heart disease. It's a progressive condition that develops when the arteries supplying blood to your heart muscle become narrowed or blocked. This narrowing is primarily caused by a buildup of plaque, a fatty substance that accumulates on the inner walls of the arteries.

What are the symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)?

CAD often develops gradually, sometimes without any obvious symptoms. As the arteries become narrower and blood flow to the heart becomes restricted, some common symptoms may arise:

  • Angina (chest pain)- This is the most common symptom of CAD. It can manifest as a squeezing, pressure- suchlike sensation, tightness, or discomfort in the chest, frequently touched off by physical activity or emotional stress and generally relieved by rest.
  • Briefness of breath- You might witness difficulty catching your breath, especially during physical activity or when lying flat.
  • Fatigue- CAD can cause unexplained frazzle and a lack of energy.
  • Pain in the shoulder, arm, jaw, or back- Discomfort in these areas can occasionally be incorrect for pain arising from other problems, but can be a sign of CAD.
  • Flightiness or dizziness- Reduced blood inflow to the heart can cause dizziness or a feeling of flightiness.

What causes Coronary Artery Disease?

While plaque buildup is the main malefactor in CAD, several factors contribute to its development

  • High cholesterol- High situations of LDL (" bad") cholesterol in the blood are a major threat factor. LDL cholesterol gets deposited in the arterial walls, forming the core of plaque buildup.
  • High blood pressure- Unbridled high blood pressure puts constant strain on the arteries, damaging their inner filling and accelerating plaque conformation.
  • Smoking- It directly injures the arteries and increases inflammation throughout the body, both of which promote plaque buildup.
  • Diabetes- Diabetes disrupts how your body uses insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels that can damage blood vessels and accelerate atherosclerosis, the beginning process of plaque buildup.
  • Family history- Having a close family member with CAD significantly increases your threat.
  • Unhealthy diet- A diet high in impregnated and trans fats, reused foods, and meliorated sugars contributes to high cholesterol situations and inflammation, both threat factors for CAD.
  • Fattiness- Being fat or fat increases your threat of high blood pressure, diabetes, and unhealthy cholesterol situations, all of which contribute to CAD.
  • Physical inactivity- A sedentary life increases your threat of fattiness, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

What are the Diagnosis and test of Coronary Artery Disease?

Early diagnosis of CAD is pivotal to help prevent complications. Doctors use various tools to diagnose CAD, including

  • Medical history and physical examination
  • Blood tests
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • ChestX-ray
  • EchocardiogramStress test
  • Coronary angiography

What is the treatment of Coronary Artery Disease?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) treatment focuses on two primary pretensions-

  1. Reducing the threat of complications- This includes precluding heart attacks, arrhythmias, and heart failure.
  2. Perfecting symptoms- This aims to relieve chest pain, briefness of breath, and other symptoms associated with CAD. The specific treatment plan for CAD will vary depending on the inflexibility of the condition, your individual threat factors, and overall health. A combination of approaches is generally used, including-

Life Changes-

Life variations are a foundation of CAD treatment and play a pivotal part in managing the disease and precluding further complications. These changes frequently include diet, Exercise, losing weight, Smoking, and habitual stress.

Medications-

Several specifics can help manage CAD by:

  • Lowering cholesterol- Statins are the first-line drug for this purpose. They work by reducing LDL cholesterol situations and decelerating down plaque buildup.
  • Lowering blood pressure- Specifics like ACE impediments and beta-blockers help control high blood pressure, reducing strain on the heart.
  • Precluding blood clots- Aspirin remedy might be specified to help thin the blood and help blood clots from forming in narrowed arteries.
  • Managing angina- Medication like nitroglycerin can help widen narrowed arteries and relieve chest pain associated with angina.

Procedures and Surgery

In some cases, medications and life changes alone might not be enough to manage CAD. However, minimally invasive procedures or surgery might be necessary to help blood flow to the heart. If your arteries are oppressively narrowed or blocked.

  • Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) - During this procedure, a catheter is fitted into a blocked artery and a tiny balloon is inflated to open the blockage. A stent is a small mesh tube, might be placed in the artery to keep it open.
  • Coronary artery bypass grafting( CABG)- In this open-heart surgery, a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body is grafted to bypass the blocked coronary artery, creating a new route for blood to flow to the heart muscle.

What are the complications of Coronary Artery Disease?

CAD can lead to several serious health complications, including -

  • Heart attack- A complete blockage of a coronary artery by a blood clot can cause a heart attack, damaging or destroying a part of the heart muscle.
  • Arrhythmias- CAD can disrupt the heart's electrical signals, leading to irregular heartbeats.
  • Heart failure- habitual damage to the heart muscle caused by CAD can weaken the heart and make it pump less effectively, leading to heart failure.

Living with

How do I take care of myself?

While some threat factors for coronary artery disease are willful, like family history, numerous can be addressed through life variations. By prioritizing a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, weight control, and quitting smoking. You can significantly reduce your threat of developing CAD. Early discovery and treatment of conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes also play a pivotal part in prevention. Remember, a healthy life is the best defense against coronary artery disease.

Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Coronary Artery Disease?

Tender Palm Hospital has the most experienced team of Cardiologists, Cardiac Surgeons, and diagnostics with the latest and International standard infection control measures in Lucknow, India. The Cardiac Science Centre team has decades of experience in successfully treating Coronary Artery Disease.

To seek an expert consultation for Coronary Artery Disease in Lucknow, India

Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com

Request an Appointment
Mon - Sat 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM IST

Our Experts

Dr. Gautam Swaroop
Dr. Gautam Swaroop
Director - Cardiology

Dr. Krishna Kumar Sahani
Dr. Krishna Kumar Sahani
Consultant - Cardiology

Awards & Accreditations