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Understanding Coronary Artery Disease
Understanding Coronary Artery DiseaseLet’s take a look at what happens in your arteries when you have Coronary Artery Disease, or CAD.The heart is a muscle which continuously pumps blood throughout your body.To do its job the heart needs oxygen and nutrients which are supplied by blood vessels called coronaryarteries.The arteries and their branches wrap around the surface of the heart.Your blood acts as a transport, carrying oxygen, cholesterol, blood cells, and other substances to all the organsin your body.Overtime risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes can cause the liningof your arteries to become damaged.This is called atherosclerosis.While atherosclerosis can affect any blood vessel in the body, when it occurs in the coronary arteries it iscalled Coronary Artery Disease.Once your arteries are damaged a type of cholesterol called Low Density Lipoproteins or LDL’s, can coat theinside of the artery wall.Your body reacts to this fat build up by sending white blood cells to help heal the area.Unfortunately the white blood cells only add to the problem.Other substances in the blood can stick to the artery wallsThis mixture of cholesterol, white blood cells, calcium, and other substances forms plaque.These plaque deposits can range in size throughout your arteries.Over time the plaque can become hard on the outside and soft on the inside.This plaque buildup causes the arteries to become hardened and inflexible, especially with high bloodpressure.As CAD progresses the artery can become partially blocked.This blockage is usually measured by percentage. As the blockage increases, blood flow becomes more limited.As it grows to 50 - 70% blocked, you may notice chest discomfort or shortness of breath.Sometimes the hard shell of the plaque can crack or tear and expose the soft fatty inside.Your body reacts to the tear in the plaque just as it does when you have a cut on your skin, by sending bloodplatelets to clot the wound.However, the blood clot that forms causes more problems due to the already narrowed arteries. Blood nowhas less room to move through the artery.Page 1 ofA Myocardial Infarction or a Heart Attack can occur if a blood clot fully blocks the flow of blood in that artery.The area of the heart's surrounding tissue supplied by the artery is damaged and quickly starts to die.It’s very important to get treatment for a heart attack as quickly as you can. Call 911 as soon as possible, don’tdelay!Quick treatment to open the flow of blood back to the heart helps limit heart damage and can save your life.Understanding Coronary Artery Disease and how it can affect the flow of blood to the heart, is a good firststep in managing the disease.Page 2 ofThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
Heart & Vascular Center
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