Coronary heart disease: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also called coronary artery disease.
CHD is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women.
CHD is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries to your heart. This may also be called
or atherosclerosis.
Fatty material and other substances form a plaque buildup on the walls of your coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to your heart.
This buildup causes the arteries to get narrow.
As a result, blood flow to the heart can slow down or stop.
A
is something that increases your chance of getting it. You cannot change some risk factors for heart disease, but you can change others.
In some cases, symptoms may be very noticeable. But, you can have the disease and not have any symptoms. This is more often true in the early stages of CHD.
or discomfort (
) is the most common symptom. You feel this pain when the heart is not getting enough blood or oxygen. The pain may feel different from person to person.
It may feel heavy or like someone is squeezing your heart. You may feel it under your breast bone (sternum). You may also feel it in your neck, arms, stomach, or upper back.
The pain most often occurs with activity or emotion. It goes away with rest or a medicine called nitroglycerin.
Some people have symptoms other than chest pain, such as:
Fatigue
Feeling lightheaded or passing out
Shortness of breath
General weakness
Everyone recovers differently. Some people can stay healthy by changing their diet, stopping smoking, and taking their medicines as prescribed. Others may need medical procedures such as angioplasty or surgery.
In general, early detection of CHD generally leads to a better outcome.
If you have any risk factors for CHD, talk to your provider about prevention and possible treatment steps.
Contact your provider, call 911 or the local emergency number or go to the emergency room right away if you have:
Angina or chest pain
Shortness of breath
Sudden loss of consciousness
Take these steps to help prevent heart disease.
If you smoke or use tobacco, stop. There are many resources available to help you
or using tobacco.
Learn how to eat a heart-healthy diet by making
. For example, choose
over butter and other saturated fats.
Get regular exercise, ideally at least 30 minutes five days per week. If you have heart disease, talk with your provider about
.
Maintain a healthy body weight.
Lower high cholesterol with
, and if needed,
or other medicines.
using diet and medicines.
Talk with your provider about
.
If you have diabetes, keep it well-managed to help
prevent a heart attack and stroke
.
Even if you already have heart disease, taking these steps will help protect your heart and prevent further damage.
Heart disease; Coronary heart disease; Coronary artery disease; Arteriosclerotic heart disease; CHD; CAD
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Updated by: Thomas S. Metkus MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.