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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffDoctors and researchers have found some similarities among people who have experienced spontaneous coronary artery dissection. It's not yet clear what role these factors play in causing the disease. Common factors include:
- Female sex. Though spontaneous coronary artery dissection can occur in both men and women, it tends to affect women more often.
- Giving birth. Some women with spontaneous coronary artery dissection have recently given birth. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection was found to occur most often in the first few weeks after delivery.
- Irregular growth of cells in the artery walls. A condition called fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) causes the irregular growth of cells in the walls of one or more of your arteries. This irregular growth can weaken the artery walls and reduce blood flow. FMD can also cause high blood pressure, a stroke and tears in other blood vessels. FMD occurs more often in women than it does in men.
- Extreme physical exertion.
- Blood vessel problems. Diseases that cause inflammation of the blood vessels, such as lupus and polyarteritis nodosa, have been associated with spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
- Inherited connective tissue diseases. Genetic diseases that cause problems with the body's connective tissues, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Marfan syndrome, have been found to occur in people with spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
- Very high blood pressure. Having untreated, severe high blood pressure is associated with spontaneous coronary artery dissection.
- Cocaine use.
References
- Tweet SM, et al. Clinical features, management and prognosis of spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Circulation. 2012;126:579.
- Vrints CJM. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Heart. 2010;806:91.
- Alfonso F, et al. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection: Long-term follow-up of a large series of patients prospectively managed with a "conservative" therapeutic strategy. JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. 2012;5:1062.
- Glamore MJ, et al. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Journal of Cardiac Surgery. 2012;27:56.
- Ito H, et al. Presentation and therapy of spontaneous coronary artery dissection and comparisons of postpartum versus nonpostpartum cases. American Journal of Cardiology. 2011;107:1590.
- Don't take a chance with a heart attack: Know the facts and act fast. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/mi/heart_attack_fs_en.htm. Accessed Jan. 11, 2013.
- NINDS Fibromuscular dysplasia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/fibromuscular_dysplasia/fibromuscular_dysplasia.htm. Accessed Jan. 10, 2013.
- What is coronary angiography? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ca. Accessed Jan. 11, 2013.
- What is a stent? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/stents. Accessed Jan. 14, 2013.
- What is coronary artery bypass grafting? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cabg. Accessed Jan. 14, 2013.
- Coping with feelings. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/CardiacRehab/Coping-with-Feelings_UCM_307092_Article.jsp. Accessed Jan. 14, 2013.
- Hayes SN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 17, 2013.
- What is cardiac rehabilitation? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/rehab. Accessed Jan. 21, 2013.
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