Symptoms of coronary artery disease include: Some people may have a heart attack and never recognize the symptoms. When the blood supply is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack, and the heart muscle begins to die. If too little oxygenated blood reaches the heart, a person will experience chest pain called angina. Some people with CAD have no symptoms, some have episodes of mild chest pain or angina, and some have more severe chest pain. The symptoms of coronary heart disease will depend on the severity of the disease. What are the symptoms of coronary artery disease? High LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides levels, and low HDL cholesterolĬontrolling risk factors is the key to preventing illness and death from CAD. What are the risk factors for coronary artery disease? The American Heart Association estimates that over 16 million Americans suffer from coronary artery disease-the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S. This thickening, called atherosclerosis, narrows the arteries and can decrease or block the flow of blood to the heart.
The fatty deposits may develop in childhood and continue to thicken and enlarge throughout the life span. What is coronary artery disease?Ĭoronary heart disease, or coronary artery disease (CAD), is characterized by inflammation and the buildup of and fatty deposits along the innermost layer of the coronary arteries. It is the most common cause of heart disease. Atherosclerosis is inflammation and a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery causing it to narrow or become blocked. Since coronary arteries deliver blood to the heart muscle, any coronary artery disorder or disease can reduce the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart, which may lead to a heart attack and possibly death. The right coronary artery divides into smaller branches, including the right posterior descending artery and the acute marginal artery.Īdditional smaller branches of the coronary arteries include the obtuse marginal (OM), septal perforator (SP), and diagonals. The right coronary artery supplies blood to the right ventricle, the right atrium, and the SA (sinoatrial) and AV (atrioventricular) nodes, which regulate the heart rhythm. This artery supplies blood to the lateral side and back of the heart. The circumflex artery branches off the left coronary artery and encircles the heart muscle. The left anterior descending artery branches off the left coronary artery and supplies blood to the front of the left side of the heart. The left main coronary artery divides into branches:
The left main coronary artery supplies blood to the left side of the heart muscle (the left ventricle and left atrium). The 2 main coronary arteries are the left main and right coronary arteries. What are the different coronary arteries? The coronary arteries run along the outside of the heart and have small branches that supply blood to the heart muscle. Like all other tissues in the body, the heart muscle needs oxygen-rich blood to function, and oxygen-depleted blood must be carried away. Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle.