Coronary Artery Disease || How does plaque buildup in the arteries?

What is coronary artery disease?

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The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood to your heart. Coronary artery disease is the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries. This condition is usually caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of cholesterol and fatty deposits (called plaques) inside the arteries. These plaques can clog the arteries or damage the arteries, which limits or stops blood flow to the heart muscle.

If the heart does not get enough blood, it cannot get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to work properly. This can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.

How does plaque buildup in the arteries?

Healthy coronary arteries are smooth and elastic. The inside of these muscular hollow tubes is lined with a layer of cells called the endothelium. The endothelium helps protect the vessel walls and keep the arteries working properly so blood can flow freely.

Coronary artery disease starts when you are very young. Before your teen years, the blood vessel walls start to show streaks of fat. As you get older, the fat builds up, causing minor damage to your blood vessel walls. With time, other substances that move through your bloodstream, such as inflammatory cells, cellular waste products, proteins, and calcium, stick to the vessel walls. These things combine with the fat and form plaque.

Plaques are different sizes, and many are soft on the inside with a hard, fibrous “cap” that covers the outside. If the hard surface cracks or tears, the soft, fatty inside is exposed. Platelets (disc-shaped particles in the blood that help form clots) move to the area, and blood clots form around the plaque. The endothelium can also become irritated and stop working properly, which causes the artery to squeeze at the wrong times. This causes the artery to narrow even more.

Sometimes, the blood clot breaks apart and blood can flow through the area again. Other times, the blood clot suddenly blocks the blood supply to the heart muscle, causing one of three serious conditions known as an acute coronary syndrome.

What are the symptoms of coronary artery disease?

The most common symptom of coronary artery disease is angina. Angina is chest pain and can also be described as chest discomfort, heaviness, tightness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, or squeezing. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest, but you may also feel it in your left shoulder, arms, neck, back, or jaw.

Other symptoms of coronary artery disease include:

⦁ Shortness of breath

⦁ Heart palpitations: irregular heartbeats, skipped beats, or a “flip-flop” feeling in your chest

⦁ A faster-than-normal heartbeat

⦁ Dizziness

⦁ Nausea

⦁ Extreme weakness

⦁ Sweating

Symptoms in Women :

Women can have different symptoms of coronary artery disease than men do.

⦁ Pain or discomfort in the chest left arm or back

⦁ A very fast heartbeat

⦁ Shortness of breath

⦁ Nausea or fatigue

Collateral Circulation :

If the blockage in a coronary artery slowly gets bigger, new blood vessels may form to reroute blood around the blockage. This is called collateral circulation. These new blood vessels may not be able to carry enough blood to the heart when you are active or under stress.

What is Ischemia?

⦁ Ischemia is a condition in which the blood vessels become blocked, and blood flow is stopped or reduced.

⦁ When blood flow is diminished to a body part, that body part also does not receive adequate oxygen.

⦁ Ischemia can occur anywhere in the body, including the

⦁ brain (cerebral ischemia)

⦁ heart (ischemic heart disease, myocardial ischemia, or cardiac ischemia)

⦁ legs (critical limb ischemia - a form of peripheral artery disease).

Ischemia of the Heart Symptoms and Signs

If ischemia occurs in the heart, symptoms may include:

⦁ Chest pain (angina)

⦁ Shortness of breath

⦁ Fast heartbeat

⦁ Shoulder or back pain

⦁ Neck, jaw, or arm pain

⦁ Sweating/clamminess

⦁ Nausea/vomiting

⦁ Fatigue

⦁ Dizziness or light headedness

Ischemia of the Brain Symptoms and Signs

⦁ Sudden headache

⦁ Dizziness

⦁ Vomiting

⦁ Fainting

⦁ Problems moving the body, problems with coordination, numbness

⦁ Weakness in arm or leg or one side of the face

⦁ Problems speaking/slurred speech

⦁ Vision problems/blindness

Ischemia of the Legs Symptoms and Signs

If ischemia occurs in the legs, symptoms may include:

⦁ Severe pain in legs and feet while at rest

⦁ Sores on the feet or legs that don’t heal

⦁ Foot pain or numbness

⦁ Shiny, smooth skin on legs and feet

⦁ Thickened toenails

⦁ Coldness or weakness in the legs

⦁ Dry, black skin (dry gangrene) in the legs or feet

How is angina different from a heart attack?

The symptoms of a heart attack (myocardial infarction/MI) are similar to angina. But, angina is a warning symptom of heart disease, not a heart attack.

What should I do if I have symptoms of coronary artery disease?

Do not wait for your symptoms to “go away.” Every minute you spend without treatment increases your risk of long-term heart damage.

Contact us; even if you are not 100% sure you are having a heart attack!

IF YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TREATMENT CLICK HERE

"ECP" Treatment or "EECP" Treatment is a US FDA approved non-invasive heart treatment which increases the blood flow to the heart and opens new blood vessels, called collaterals. Acting as an alternate to bypass surgery and angioplasty, our ECP treatment (EECP treatment) is supervised by the Cardiologist and is monitored using an ECG machine. It is beneficial for patients with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, high cholesterol, obesity, ischemic stroke, and many other medical conditions.

Why the patient can have benefited from EECP therapy?

Patient benefits of ECP therapy proven in clinical studies

· Increase in energy & exercise tolerance

· Increase alertness (brain function)

· Reduce or eliminate symptoms of chest pain

· Reduce symptoms of shortness of breath

· Reduce symptoms of fatigue

· Reduce heart palpitation

· Reduce leg pains from peripheral vascular disease

Blood strengthens the heart muscle by reviving those parts of the heart that have become hybridized due to lack of blood flow.

· An increase in perfusion creates natural bypasses around narrowed arteries in the heart as well as other organs such as the lungs, kidneys, liver & brain.

· Sustainable relief of symptoms related to ischemic heart disease

· Improvement in sexual function for men

· Reduce symptoms of Parkinson's disease

· Reduce symptoms of dementia (Alzheimer's disease)

· Reduces blood pressure

· Decrease the workload of the heart

· Improvement in oxygen consumption (V02)

Mechanism of ECP Treatment (EECP Treatment)

ECP treatment or EECP heart treatment is a non-surgical and pain-free procedure. As the patient lies down, 3 electrodes are applied to the chest and are connected to an ECG machine.