CORONARY

ARTERY HEART
DISEASE
Done By: Christina Shnoudi, Joanna Masri, Dina
Anshasi, and Toleen Masri
Introduction
What is coronary artery disease?
Coronary artery disease which is also known as blocked artery disease is a disease that occurs in
the heart, where a thick and sticky substance called plaque builds up and sticks in the middle of
the coronary artery. Plaques starts to form in artery walls and build up for years. A process
known as atherosclerosis forms plaques.
 Causes
CAD is caused by a number of factors that are associated with the plaque buildup in the walls of the
coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. Plaque deposits are composed of cholesterol, fatty
substances, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood). Plaque
buildup causes the inside of the arteries to narrow over time, too much plaque buildup and
narrowed artery walls can make it harder for blood to flow through your body, which could partially
or totally block the blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis. Plaques grow in a slow, silent
and controlled way into the path of blood flow. Slow-growing cholesterol plaques may or may not
ever cause any symptoms -- even with severely blocked arteries. But, when your heart muscle
doesn’t get enough blood, you may have chest pain or discomfort, called angina. Angina is the most
common symptom of CAD.
Sudden cholesterol plaque clotting causes blocked arteries. When that happens, heart muscle dies.
This is a heart attack, also called myocardial infarction.
Over time, CAD can weaken the heart muscle. This may lead to heart failure, a serious condition
where the heart can’t pump blood the way that it should.
Factors that are associated with plaque
build-up:
Factors that are associated with plaque build-up:
1. The type of fat eaten – in which consuming saturated and trans fats has been shown to increase
the risk of coronary artery disease in part by raising levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which is the
"bad cholesterol", and lowering levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) which is the "good
cholesterol". On the other hand, consuming polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats lowers the
risk of heart attacks.
2. Obesity – Obesity and overweight is linked to several factors that increase ones risk for coronary
artery disease. Such as having high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure,
impaired glucose tolerance or type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome etc.
3. High blood pressure – blood pressure is the amount of pressure within the arteries (blood vessels
that carry blood around the body). High blood pressure means that the pressure in the arteries is
higher than normal. This may be because there is more blood volume in the arteries, or more blood is
being pumped out of the heart.
Factors that are associated with plaque
build-up:
4. Smoking – Smoking damages the lining of your arteries caused by the chemicals in the tobacco
smoke, leading to a build-up of fatty plaques which narrows the artery. This can cause angina, a heart
attack or a stroke.
5. Diabetes - high blood glucose from diabetes damages your blood vessels and the nerves that
control your heart and blood vessels. The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances that you
will develop heart disease.
6. Lack of physical activity - Being physically active halves your risk of heart disease. This is because
exercise: lowers blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Exercising increases
good HDL cholesterol that transports fat away from the arteries and back to the liver for processing.
7. A family history of the disease - Genetics are a key factor in Coronary Heart Disease. In which they
are likely to play some role in high blood pressure, heart disease, and other related conditions.
However, it is also likely that people with a family history of heart disease share common environments
and other potential factors that increase their risk.
Foods that help prevent coronary heart
disease:
 Oily fish – such as mackerel, sardines, tuna and salmon which contain omega-3 fatty acids.
This type of fat has been shown to decrease LDL-cholesterol levels and increase HDL-cholesterol
levels, improves blood vessel elasticity and thins the blood, making it less likely to clot and block
blood flow.
 Fruits and vegetables – antioxidants in fruit and vegetables offer protection against heart
disease. Fruit and vegetables are also important sources of folate (distinct forms of which are
known as folic acid, folacin, and vitamin B₉), which helps lower the blood levels of the amino
acid (homocysteine), which is a risk factor linked to increasing possibilities of having coronary
heart disease.
 Foods containing vitamin E –vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect against
‘bad’ cholesterol.
 legumes and soy – soy protein has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels, especially if
blood cholesterol levels are high.
Treatments for coronary artery disease
Coronary artery disease Treatment goals mainly include lowering the cholesterol level, by the
need of statin medications to control or lower your cholesterol level. By lowering your
cholesterol level, you can decrease your chance of having a heart attack. Moreover lowering the
risk of blood clots forming, Since blood clots can cause a heart attack. Antiplatelet are a type of
medicine that can help reduce the risk of a heart attack by thinning the blood and preventing it
clotting.
Coronary artery disease can be treated by medicines, medical procedures, surgeries and heart
healthy lifestyle changes including…
1. Heart healthy eating

Heart healthy eating should include:

- Fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as fat-free milk
- Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and trout, about twice a week
- Fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, broccoli, and carrots
- Whole grains, such as oatmeal, and brown rice.
Heart healthy eating
Also When following a heart-healthy diet, you should avoid eating:
-A lot of red meat
-Palm and coconut oils
-Sugary foods and beverages
-Saturated and trans fat since they increase the cholesterol level in your blood
-Saturated fat can be found mostly in food that come from animals
-Trans fat can be found in food made with hydrogenated oils and fats, such as baked goods;
cookies, cakes, and pies.
2. Managing stress
Many researches showed that emotionally upsetting events are most likely to cause a heart
attack.
Manage stress, relax, and cope with problems can improve your emotional and physical health.
Consider healthy stress-reducing activities, such as:
1. A stress management program
2. Meditation
3. Physical activity
4. Relaxation therapy
5. Talking with friends or family
3. Quit smoking
Smoking can raise your risk for coronary heart disease and heart attack and worsen other
coronary heart disease risk factors.
Smoking damages the lining of your arteries, leading to a build up of fatty material which
narrows the artery which can cause a heart attack.
Tobacco free path program can help people to quit smoking.
Medicines
Changing your lifestyle may be not enough to treat coronary artery disease.
Medicines can:
1. Decrease your chance of having a heart attack
2. Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.
3. Prevent blood clots.
4. Prevent or delay the need for a procedure or surgery.
Medicines
Statin medication is used for lowering the cholesterol level, By lowering your cholesterol level,
you can decrease your chance of having a heart attack
Antiplatelet are a type of medicine that is used for lowering the risk of blood clots forming Since
blood clots can cause a heart attack, therefore it can help reduce the risk of a heart attack by
thinning the blood and preventing it clotting.
Beta blocker are often used to treat high blood pressure by blocking the effects of a particular
hormone in the body, which slows down your heartbeat and improves blood flow.
Nitrates are used to widen your blood vessels. They work by relaxing your blood vessels, letting
more blood pass through them. This lowers your blood pressure and relieves any heart pain you
have. However they have some side effects such as headaches, and dizziness.
Surgeries
Doctors may recommend surgeries to treat coronary heart disease if medicines did not help and
treat.
CABG (Coronary artery bypass grafting) is a surgery that is used to treat blocked coronary
arteries. It improves blood flow to the heart.
Coronary artery disease and its affect on
the patients socially
Being diagnosed with coronary artery disease may affect the persons life a lot. It can affect
him/her self esteem, marriage and relationships and it can prevent or make it difficult for him/her
to get married since it’s a life threatening disease as well as it may affect their friendships .
the disease will interfere with their daily life activities, and studies showed that people give up
easily and stop fighting for what they aim for and that Up to 15 % of patients with coronary artery
disease experience major depression and loses their self esteem. Techniqually coronary artery
disease is a long term battle and many people get depressed or it causes many people to withdraw
into social isolation, hence a small variety of people will give up on the short term and this may
let them take the decision of committing suicide, thus this will increase death rate. Moreover,
depression may contributes to unhealthy lifestyle and poor adherence to their treatment, since it
makes life more difficult for them to manage. they might lose interest in their work, hobbies, or
doing things they would usually enjoy. They could lack energy, have trouble sleeping, sleep more
than usual, feel irritable, or find it hard to concentrate.
Figure 1

- Figure A shows a normal artery with

normal blood flow. The inset image shows
a cross-section of a normal artery.
- Figure B shows an artery with plaque
buildup. The inset image shows a cross-
section of an artery with plaque buildup.
Figure 2
This image shows the statin medication that is
lowers the cholesterol level
Effects
Brain:
One of the most dangerous effects of the coronary artery disease is the stroke, it occurs after
the stuck of the plaque in the coronary artery. Thrombotic stroke happens when blood starts to
form clots inside the artery in the brain which prevents the flow of blood from the heart. While
the embolic stroke occurs when blood clots from other parts of the body gets stuck in a smaller
artery and blocks the flow of blood. An ischemic stroke is caused by the two conditions which
are the thrombotic stroke and embolic stroke, which means the blood flow to the brain but
oxygen gets blocked. Another kind of stroke is hemorrhagic in nature .It happens when the
blood vessel's wall in the brain starts to burst, enabling blood to spill into the brain, which
damages the tissues. This condition is regularly found in patients with high blood pressure.
Effects
Lungs:
Patients of coronary artery disease have risks of blood clotting in other parts of the body. This
can also cause pulmonary embolism. If blood clots occur in any other parts of the body, it can
also block the arteries inside the lungs. If it doesn't get treated immediately, this means that
there are fatal complications of atherosclerosis and associated heart disease.
Liver:
Coronary artery disease can cause a major risk of kidneys failure which is also known as
hypertension. Coronary artery disease or high blood pressure can damage the small blood
vessels in the kidneys which ruins their ability of filtering the blood wastes. This can cause stroke
or heart attack which is all caused by the coronary artery disease.
Symptoms
Angina
Angina may feel like tightness, heaviness, or pressure in the chest. It may involve an aching,
burning, or numb feeling. It can also feel like fullness or squeezing. It may also feel like radiating
in the back, jaw, neck, shoulders, or arms. It can cause indigestion or shortness of breath. Women
and older adults are more likely than men and younger people to have this kind of angina. Angina
can cause other symptoms too, such as sweating or a general sense that something is wrong.
Angina happens when the heart isn’t getting enough blood with oxygen. This can make the heart
muscle cramp and function abnormally.
Shortness of breath
If the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, you may develop shortness of
breath or extreme fatigue when exercising.
Dizziness/lightheadedness
 one may experience extreme lightheadedness or dizziness if they have CAD.
Chest discomfort
 Often, insufficient blood flow to the coronary arteries can cause chest discomfort.
Heart attack
 A completely blocked coronary artery will cause a heart attack. The classic signs of a heart attack
include crushing pressure in the chest and pain in the shoulder or arm, sometimes with shortness
of breath and sweating.
Palpitations: A rapid or irregular heartbeat may feel like a thumping sensation and is often
accompanied by dizziness or lightheadedness. 
Economic factor
If plaque completely blocks blood flow it can be a major cause of death and disability, coronary
heart disease claims more lives in the United States than the next 7 leading causes of death
combined. coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) involves removing a blood vessel from the chest,
arms, or legs to allow blood to reach the heart again. The average cost for a simple coronary
bypass surgery in the United States is $40,000 and not all patients can afford that and if the
disease was left untreated it will cause death. That increases the death rate because as
mentioned before CAD is one of the leading causes of death in the world.
Summary
 CAD is caused by a number of factors that are associated with the plaque buildup in the walls of the
coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.
Factors that are associated with plaque build-up are: consuming saturated and trans fat, obesity, high
blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol levels, lack of physical activity and genetics.
Diet is an important risk factor in coronary heart disease. A low-saturated fat, high-fibre, high plant
food diet can substantially reduce the risk of developing heart disease
The main goal of treating CAD is lowering the cholesterol level, the risk of blood clot forming, and blood
level.
CAD can be treated by medicines, surgeries, changing your lifestyle into a healthier lifestyle by
managing stress, quit smoking, eating healthy and avoiding saturated and trans fat.
 CAD can have a mental health effect such as depression, lowering their self esteem , and it can affect
the patients social life where it can cause him/her to be socially isolated , difficult to get married etc…
Summary
Coronary artery disease can cause many kinds of stroke and heart problems.
This disease can affect many other kinds of the body.
CAD signs include shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, palpitations and heart
attacks
Bypass surgery cost can be a huge issue for patients and that makes it a major economic
factor.
Citation
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