What is coronary artery disease?

Coronary artery disease is a common heart condition that develops when deposits of cholesterol (plaque) build up along the walls of your arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis.  

This build-up of plaque narrows your arteries. This narrowing can interfere with the flow of blood to your heart, which provides oxygen and nutrients to the muscle so it can function correctly.

Coronary artery disease often develops gradually over many years. You can be at increased risk of developing the disease due to:

• Smoking
• Aging
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Lack of exercise

If you have a family history of coronary artery disease or are under a great deal of stress, you’re more likely to develop coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease can cause heart failure, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), or a heart attack when left untreated.

When should I seek treatment for coronary artery disease?

Schedule a diagnostic evaluation for coronary artery disease at the Arizona Heart Rhythm Center if you have symptoms of CAD-like chest pain, prolonged fatigue, and/or shortness of breath.

You might not have coronary artery disease symptoms in its early stages, so you should schedule regular preventive screenings for the condition. This is especially true if you smoke, have high blood pressure (hypertension), or have other risk factors.

The Arizona Heart Rhythm Center providers use on-site technologies to determine if you have coronary artery disease. In addition to a physical exam, you could need:

• Blood work
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Echocardiogram (echo)
• Stress testing

The providers can complete a cardiac catheterization procedure at the in-office cath lab to find blockages in your arteries. This minimally invasive procedure involves inserting a catheter through your groin or wrist. A contrast dye flows through the catheter and makes it easier to see your blood vessels on X-rays.

If you have coronary artery disease, the Arizona Heart Rhythm Center’s heart specialists customize a treatment plan to prevent it from getting worse.

How is coronary artery disease treated?

In the early stages of coronary artery disease, you might be able to manage your condition with lifestyle changes. These include quitting smoking, getting more exercise, and eating a heart-healthy diet.

If these changes aren’t enough, you could benefit from medication to lower your cholesterol or slow down your heart rate.

When you have advanced coronary artery disease, the providers will likely recommend surgery. They offer angioplasty, which uses a catheter to open blocked arteries to improve blood flow. Your surgeon can also place a stent, a mesh tube that holds your blood vessel open so that blood can flow through freely.

More invasive surgery might be necessary if you have a total blockage in your artery to your heart. The providers do bypass surgery to create a new route for blood to travel around a blockage. They use a blood vessel from another part of your body as a graft.

Schedule a diagnostic evaluation for coronary artery disease online today or call the Arizona Heart Rhythm Center office nearest you.