What is included in CAD?

What does coronary artery disease include?

CAD happens when coronary arteries struggle to supply the heart with enough blood, oxygen and nutrients. Cholesterol deposits, or plaques, are almost always to blame. These buildups narrow your arteries, decreasing blood flow to your heart. This can cause chest pain, shortness of breath or even a heart attack.

What conditions fall under CAD?

It is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women. CAD happens when the arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. This is due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls. This buildup is called atherosclerosis.

What are the 5 major coronary arteries?

Structure

• Left coronary artery (LCA) Left anterior descending artery. Left circumflex artery. Posterior descending artery. Ramus or intermediate artery.
• Right coronary artery (RCA) Right marginal artery. Posterior descending artery.

What are the branches of coronary artery?

The coronary arteries consist of two main arteries: the right and left coronary arteries, and their two branches, the circumflex artery and the left anterior descending artery.

How do you diagnose CAD?

Cardiac CT scan.



A CT scan of the heart can help your doctor see calcium deposits in your arteries that can narrow the arteries. If a substantial amount of calcium is discovered, coronary artery disease may be likely.

What is the main cause of CAD?

CAD is caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart (called coronary arteries) and other parts of the body. Plaque is made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances in the artery.

What are symptoms of blockage in heart?

If a person has a heart block, they may experience:

• slow or irregular heartbeats, or palpitations.
• shortness of breath.
• lightheadedness and fainting.
• pain or discomfort in the chest.
• difficulty in doing exercise, due to the lack of blood being pumped around the body.

What does mild CAD mean?

The study subjects were categorized as having no CAD, mild CAD defined as defined as <50% artery obstruction, or obstructive disease defined as >50% artery obstruction.

How much blockage is normal?

A moderate amount of heart blockage is typically that in the 40-70% range, as seen in the diagram above where there is a 50% blockage at the beginning of the right coronary artery. Usually, heart blockage in the moderate range does not cause significant limitation to blood flow and so does not cause symptoms.

What are the 3 main heart arteries?

Right Coronary Artery (RCA)

• Right marginal artery.
• Posterior descending artery.

What angioplasty means?

The term “angioplasty” means using a balloon to stretch open a narrowed or blocked artery. However, most modern angioplasty procedures also involve inserting a short wire-mesh tube, called a stent, into the artery during the procedure. The stent is left in place permanently to allow blood to flow more freely.

What is the OM1 artery?

There can be one or more obtuse marginal arteries. It typically traverses along the left margin of heart towards the apex. The first obtuse marginal artery (OM1) is usually found on or close to the obtuse margin of the heart and is also known as the “margo obtusus”.

What are the 4 major arteries?

By definition, an artery is a vessel that conducts blood from the heart to the periphery. All arteries carry oxygenated blood–except for the pulmonary artery. The largest artery in the body is the aorta and it is divided into four parts: ascending aorta, aortic arch, thoracic aorta, and abdominal aorta.

What are the two main arteries?

The 2 main coronary arteries are the left main and right coronary arteries. Left main coronary artery (LMCA). The left main coronary artery supplies blood to the left side of the heart muscle (the left ventricle and left atrium).

What are veins?

Veins carry deoxygenated blood towards your heart and are often located close to your skin. Veins don’t have a muscular layer like arteries do, so they rely on valves to keep your blood moving. Veins start as tiny blood vessels called venules, which become full-size veins as they come closer to your heart.