The cause of coronary artery disease is believed to be “the result of damage to the inner layer of a coronary artery” (Coronary artery disease, 2014). There are many different things that can cause this damage. A few include, “smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, insulin resistance, radiation therapy, and sedentary lifestyle” (Coronary artery disease, 2014). Once there is damage to the wall of the artery, atherosclerosis occurs at the damaged site. Atherosclerosis is when plaque builds up inside our arteries. “When these plaques rupture, platelets clump at the site to try and repair it” (Coronary artery disease, 2014). This clump of platelets causes a blockage in the artery and leads to a heart attack if not removed. There are three major symptoms of coronary artery disease. …show more content…
The first symptom is chest pain. “The chest pain is typically brought about by physical or emotional stress” (Coronary artery disease, 2014). It usually only lasts a few minutes. The second symptom is shortness of breath. Since the arteries are blocked and blood flow is decreased, “there is not enough blood to supply our body’s needs and this causes us to feel out of breath more often” (Coronary artery disease, 2014). The third symptom is a heart attack. “Our coronary arteries take many years to build up with plaque and sometimes people don’t even realize it’s happening until they have a heart attack” (Coronary artery disease, 2014). A heart attack is caused from our arteries being completely blocked and no blood flow. There is no cure for coronary artery disease but there are treatments that help lower the risk of heart attacks and stroke. These treatments include lifestyle changes, medicine, and procedures. The most important step for anyone with coronary artery disease is lifestyle changes. Changing your lifestyle can slow down the disease and sometimes even stop it. These changes include “quitting smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and keeping a healthy mental attitude” (Coronary Artery Disease-Treatment Overview, 2014). It is important to follow these recommendations in order to slow down the process of coronary artery disease. “There is a cardiac rehabilitation program that can assist anyone who is struggling making these lifestyle changes” (Coronary Artery Disease- Treatment Overview, 2014). It is also a good idea to manage any other health problems that you may have, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. Make sure you are keeping these conditions under control. Another treatment option is medication. These medications are intended to lower your risk of heart attack. “These medications include Aspirin, ACE inhibitor, and statin” (Coronary Artery Disease- Treatment Overview, 2014). Aspirin helps to prevent blood clots. They recommend you take an ACE inhibitor to help lower blood pressure and reduce the workload of your heart. A statin is to help lower cholesterol. All of these medications can help lower the risk of a …show more content…
“It is most common in males 80 years of age and older” (Gillespie, 2013). “In 2009, there were 116.1 deaths from coronary artery disease per 100,000 population” (Gillespie, 2013). “The death rate was highest among African American males, 80 years of age or older, than any other racial group” (Gillespie, 2013). About 1/3 of the people diagnosed with coronary artery disease choose to have angioplasty procedure. There are approximately one million angioplasty surgeries performed each year in the United States. These procedures are popular because the low risk of this treatment. About 10% of the people diagnosed with coronary artery disease, decide to have a coronary artery bypass graft surgery. When someone has a CABG surgery, it takes longer for them to fully recover compared to if they would have had angioplasty