Is CAD a serious heart condition?

Can you live a long life with CAD?

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is treatable, but there is no cure. This means that once diagnosed with CAD, you have to learn to live with it for the rest of your life. By lowering your risk factors and losing your fears, you can live a full life despite CAD.

Is CAD a serious disease?

Narrowed arteries can cause chest pain because they can block blood flow to your heart muscle and the rest of your body. Over time, CAD can weaken the heart muscle. This may lead to heart failure, a serious condition where the heart can’t pump blood the way it should.

Is CAD considered heart disease?

Coronary artery disease, also called CAD, is a condition that affects your heart. It is the most common heart disease in the United States. CAD happens when coronary arteries struggle to supply the heart with enough blood, oxygen and nutrients.

What is the life expectancy of someone with coronary artery disease?

In terms of absolute years spent with heart disease, Figure 2 shows that at every age the average woman can expect to live with heart disease more years than the average man. At age 50, the average woman can expect to live 7.9 years with heart disease, while the figure for the average man is 6.7 years.

Is CAD a death sentence?

Coronary artery disease — an accumulation of fatty deposits in the inner layer of the coronary arteries — does not have to be a death sentence, especially with early diagnosis and the right treatment.

Is coronary artery disease curable?

Coronary heart disease cannot be cured but treatment can help manage the symptoms and reduce the chances of problems such as heart attacks. Treatment can include: lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and stopping smoking.

What are complications of CAD?

Over time, CAD can lead to heart failure. Heart failure means that your heart isn’t able to pump enough blood to the rest of your body. This can cause fluid buildup in the lungs, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the legs, liver, or abdomen.

Is triple vessel disease serious?

Three-vessel disease (3VD) represents the most severe form of coronary atherosclerosis. Patients with 3VD and/or left main stenosis are considered a high-risk group according to therapeutic guidelines. In comparison with less severe forms of CAD, 3VD has been consistently associated with worse long-term prognosis.

What is the most common cause of coronary artery disease?

The most common cause of CAD is vascular injury with cholesterol plaque buildup in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Reduced blood flow occurs when one or more of these arteries becomes partially or completely blocked.

What is the difference between coronary artery disease and heart disease?

Coronary artery disease is a narrowing or blockage of your coronary arteries usually caused by the buildup of fatty material called plaque. Coronary artery disease is also called coronary heart disease, ischemic heart disease and heart disease.

Can you stop coronary artery disease from progressing?

You can absolutely prevent CAD from worsening, and with some hard work, you might even be able to reverse some of the damage, says Gregg Fonarow, MD.

Can artery plaque be reversed?

Completely reversing it isn’t possible yet. But taking a statin can reduce the risk of complications from atherosclerosis. It fights inflammation, which stabilizes the plaque. For this reason, statins are often key to treating atherosclerosis.

Can you live a long life with stents in your arteries?

While the placement of stents in newly reopened coronary arteries has been shown to reduce the need for repeat angioplasty procedures, researchers from the Duke Clinical Research Institute have found that stents have no impact on mortality over the long term.