Abigail Schuster

Medical Terminology

Disease Discussion #2
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), also known as ischemic heart disease is a condition in

which plaque builds up in the walls of a person’s arteries causing disruption of blood flow to the

heart and other parts of the bodies. CAD is the most common type of heart disease in the United

States. The plaque that builds up in the artery walls is made up of cholesterol otherwise known as

fat. The buildup of this plaque over time can cause narrowing of the artery walls leading to

partial or total blocks in blood flow and this is known as atherosclerosis.

CAD can present in a few different ways but often the symptoms include the following:

angina which is chest pain (most common), weakness, lightheadedness, nausea, cold sweats, pain

or discomfort in shoulder, and shortness of breath. Many people don’t know they have CAD

until they have a myocardial infarction (heart attack) from decreased blood supply to the heart.

Angina can also be a clue that a patient has CAD because angina results from narrowing of

arteries and decreased blood supply to tissues resulting in chest pain. Over time, CAD can cause

great damage to the heart and weaken it to the point of heart failure where the person’s heart

becomes unable to pump blood properly.

There are several things that put a person at risks for CAD including: obesity, physical

inactivity, unhealthy dietary habits, smoking, and family history. A person can be diagnosed

through ECG, EKG, echocardiogram, exercise stress test, chest x-ray, cardiac catheterization,

coronary angiogram, and coronary artery calcium scan.

Treatment and lifestyle changes are recommended for best outcomes in patients with

CAD and often include physical activity, education of healthy living, teaching to take medication

as prescribed, teaching ways to quit smoking, and teaching ways to manage stress.
 Reference Page:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, July 19). Coronary artery disease. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 28, 2021, from
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/coronary_ad.htm.