What is Coronary Artery Disease & Stroke?
Coronary arteries surround the surface of the heart. Their
function is to deliver oxygen rich blood to the heart. At times
the heart muscle will demand more oxygen then others. For
example, if you are asleep your heart doesn't require the same quantity
of oxygen as it would if you were running. It is the job of the
coronary arteries to not just deliver oxygen rich blood but to meet the
ever changing demand of the heart.
Coronary artery disease begins when the lining of the artery wall is
damaged. Over time, plaques (fat & cholesterol deposits) can
build-up and cause narrowing and sometimes a complete blockage of the
arteries. Blockages in the coronary arteries can reduce blood
supply to the heart.
In addition, the plaque often causes the blood to flow abnormally,
which leads to a blood clot. Plaque or a blood clot can stay at the
site of narrowing and prevent blood flow to the heart muscle.
This will result in permanent damage to the heart muscle due to a lack
of oxygen. Basically, your heart muscle is being suffocated.
People who experience a reduction in blood/ oxygen to the heart will
often report chest tightness, or angina (chest pain). However,
some people who have had a heart attack report quite different
symptoms. For a complete list of symptoms see Heart Attack/ Angina.
Once there is damage to the heart it is irreversible.
Though many heart attacks are deadly some people do survive. By
restoring adequate blood flow to the coronary artery, a recurrent heart
attack can be prevented. This may be accomplished by a procedure known
as Angioplasty with stent placement.
Modern diagnostic testing such as Coronary Angiography allow for early detection. Coronary Angiography is the name for a diagnostic procedure that is designed to visualize the small arteries of the heart. These tiny blood vessels are only 1 to 3 millimeters in diameter. Thus it takes special x-ray equipment and techniques to obtain images of sufficient quality for diagnosis and surgical decision making.