Coronary disease

Coronary heart disease
Classification and external resources
ICD-9 414.00
MeSH D003327

Coronary heart disease is the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, usually caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis (sometimes called “hardening” or “clogging” of the arteries) is the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits (called plaques) on the inner walls of the arteries. These plaques can restrict blood flow to the heart muscle by physically clogging the artery or by causing abnormal artery tone and function.

Without an adequate blood supply, the heart becomes starved of oxygen and the vital nutrients it needs to work properly. This can cause chest pain called angina. If blood supply to a portion of the heart muscle is cut off entirely, or if the energy demands of the heart become much greater than its blood supply, a heart attack (injury to the heart muscle) may occur.

It is most commonly equated with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, but coronary disease can be due to other causes, such as coronary vasospasm.[1] It is possible for the stenosis to be caused by spasm.[2]

Contents

Causes

Coronary artery disease, the most common type of coronary disease, which has no clear etiology, has many risk factors, including smoking, radiotherapy to the chest, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, inability to manage stress, and hyperlipidemia.[3]

Also, having a Type A behavior pattern, a group of personality characteristics including time urgency and competitiveness, is linked to an increased risk of coronary disease.[4]

Treatment

Lifestyle changes and reversibility

Lifestyle changes have been shown to be effective in reducing (and in the case of diet, reversing) coronary disease:

Medications to treat coronary disease

Surgical intervention

References

  1. ^ Williams MJ, Restieaux NJ, Low CJ (February 1998). "Myocardial infarction in young people with normal coronary arteries". Heart 79 (2): 191–4. PMC 1728590. PMID 9538315. http://heart.bmj.com/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=9538315. 
  2. ^ Rezkalla SH, Kloner RA (October 2007). "Cocaine-induced acute myocardial infarction". Clin Med Res 5 (3): 172–6. doi:10.3121/cmr.2007.759. PMC 2111405. PMID 18056026. http://www.clinmedres.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=18056026. 
  3. ^ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coronary-artery-disease/DS00064/DSECTION=causes
  4. ^ McCann, 2001, the precocity-longevity hypothesis: earlier peaks in career achievement predict shorter lives. Personality & Social psychology bulletin, 27, 1429-1439; Rhodewalt & Smith, 1991, current issues in Type A behaviour, coronary proneness, and coronary heart disease. In C.R. Snyder & D.R.Forsyth (Eds.), Handbook of social and clinical psychology :) (pp.197-220) New York: Pergamon
  5. ^ http://www.heartattackproof.com/resolving_cade.htm
  6. ^ Preventive Cardiology; 2001; 4: p171-177
  7. ^ morrison l m "diet in coronary artherosclerosis" JAMA 173; 1960; p884-888
  8. ^ a b c http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coronary-artery-disease/DS00064/DSECTION=treatments%2Dand%2Ddrugs
  9. ^ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/993.html

See also