Here’s a clear, medically grounded overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) — including how it’s described by the cardiology team at Maria Middelares and by major medical sources:
❤️ What Is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)?
Coronary artery disease happens when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become narrowed or blocked due to fatty deposits (plaques) on their walls. This reduces oxygen‑rich blood flow to the heart and can lead to angina (chest pain) or a heart attack. (Maria Middelares EN)
In simple terms:
- Your heart needs constant oxygen to function.
- CAD develops when the coronary arteries cannot deliver enough blood because of plaque buildup.
- This process is called atherosclerosis (hardening/narrowing of arteries). (Wikipedia)
⚠️ Symptoms You Might Notice
Many people have no symptoms at first, but as CAD progresses, these can appear:
Angina (Chest Pain)
- Pressure, tightness, or squeezing in the chest
- Can spread to the arms, neck, jaw, shoulder blades, or back
- Often triggered by physical activity and relieved by rest (stable angina) (Maria Middelares EN)
Heart Attack Signs
- Severe chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes
- Sweating, nausea, shortness of breath
- Pain that doesn’t go away with rest or medication (Maria Middelares EN)
Other Possible Signals
- Shortness of breath during exertion
- Feeling unusually tired
- Silent ischemia (no obvious symptoms, especially in older adults or people with diabetes) (MSD Manuals)
🚨 How It Develops
- Cholesterol and fatty deposits collect in artery walls over decades.
- Over time, the lumen (inner space) of the artery narrows, limiting blood flow.
- Plaques can rupture and form a blood clot, abruptly blocking blood flow and causing a heart attack. (MSD Manuals)
🩺 Risk Factors (What Increases Your Chances)
People are more likely to develop CAD if they have:
- High cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Obesity or sedentary lifestyle
- Family history of heart disease
- Older age (MSD Manuals)
Lifestyle and metabolic factors play a major role in whether plaques build up. (MSD Manuals)
🩹 Diagnosis and Tests
Doctors use several tools to confirm CAD, including:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Stress test (exercise or medication‑induced)
- Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)
- Coronary CT angiography
- Diagnostic cardiac catheterization (gold standard imaging) (Maria Middelares EN)
🧠 Treatment Options
Medications
- Antiplatelets (like aspirin) to prevent clots
- Statins to lower cholesterol
- Beta‑blockers or ACE inhibitors to reduce heart strain (MSD Manuals)
Procedures
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) — uses a balloon and stent to open a blocked artery
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) — reroutes blood around blockages using blood vessels from elsewhere in the body (MSD Manuals)
🏃♂️ Prevention Is Crucial
You can reduce your risk or slow progression by:
- Quitting smoking
- Healthy diet (low in saturated fats and sugar)
- Regular exercise
- Blood pressure and diabetes control
- Stress management (Maria Middelares EN)
At Maria Middelares, patients with CAD are often offered cardiac rehabilitation, a program combining exercise, education, and lifestyle support to improve heart health after an event. (Maria Middelares EN)
🧠 Key Takeaway
Coronary artery disease is a progressive condition caused by plaque buildup in the heart’s arteries. Early recognition, lifestyle changes, medication, and interventions can greatly reduce the risk of heart attack and improve quality of life. (Maria Middelares EN)
If you’d like, I can break down the early warning signs of CAD (so you can spot them before severe symptoms develop). Would you like that?
