The Facts
Coronary artery disease (CAD) refers to the narrowing of heart arteries
due to atherosclerosis (see below). The heart muscle does not get
enough oxygen when heart arteries are narrowed. If the heart is starved of oxygen,
chest pain (angina) occurs. If an artery is completely blocked, a heart attack
results, medically referred to as a myocardial infarction (MI). CAD is
the most common form of heart disease and is the number one killer of both men
and women.
Many of these deaths can be prevented because some risk factors for CAD are
controllable. These controllable factors often are related to lifestyle and
include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and physical
inactivity.
Although medical treatments for heart disease have come a long way, controlling
risk factors remains the key to preventing illness and death from CAD.