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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffCoronary artery disease can lead to:
- Chest pain (angina). When your coronary arteries narrow, your heart may not receive enough blood when demand is greatest — particularly during physical activity. This can cause chest pain (angina) or shortness of breath.
- Heart attack. If a cholesterol plaque ruptures and a blood clot forms, complete blockage of your heart artery may trigger a heart attack. The lack of blood flow to your heart may damage to your heart muscle. The amount of damage depends in part on how quickly you receive treatment.
- Heart failure. If some areas of your heart are chronically deprived of oxygen and nutrients because of reduced blood flow, or if your heart has been damaged by a heart attack, your heart may become too weak to pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. This condition is known as heart failure.
- Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Inadequate blood supply to the heart or damage to heart tissue can interfere with your heart's electrical impulses, causing abnormal heart rhythms.
References
- Coronary artery disease. National Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Cad/CAD_WhatIs.html. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Morrow DA, et al. Chronic coronary artery disease. In: Libby P, et al., eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50057-1&uniq=198193047&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&sid=989729689. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Toth PP, et al. Coronary artery disease. In: Rakel RE. Rakel: Textbook of Family Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/198193047-17/0/1481/455.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2467-5..50041-5--cesec46_2228. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Hall SL, et al. Secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. American Family Physician. 2010;81:289.
- Wilson PWF. Overview of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Body composition tests. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4489. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Heart disease. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/heart-disease/. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 7, 2010.
- Lovett E, et al. Advising patients about herbs and nutraceuticals: Tips for primary care providers. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2010;37:13.
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