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Coronary Artery Disease
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/coronaryarterydisease.html

Coronary Artery Disease

Also called: CAD, Coronary arteriosclerosis, Coronary atherosclerosis, Coronary heart disease
On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Prevention and Risk Factors
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Living With
  • Related Issues
  • Specifics
  • Genetics

See, Play and Learn

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  • Test Your Knowledge

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

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For You

  • Women
  • Older Adults
  • Patient Handouts

Summary

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. 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. As it grows, less blood can flow through the arteries. As a result, the heart muscle can't get the blood or oxygen it needs. This can lead to chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Most heart attacks happen when a blood clot suddenly cuts off the hearts' blood supply, causing permanent heart damage.

Over time, CAD can also weaken the heart muscle and contribute to heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure means the heart can't pump blood well to the rest of the body. Arrhythmias are changes in the normal beating rhythm of the heart.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

  • Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Coronary Artery Disease - Coronary Heart Disease (American Heart Association)
  • What Is Coronary Heart Disease? From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Screening With Electrocardiography (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF
  • Coronary CTA (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
  • Heart Health Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Intravascular Ultrasound (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • How to Prevent Heart Disease: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

  • Angioplasty: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Heart Procedures and Surgeries (American Heart Association)
  • What Are Stents? From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

  • Cardiac Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Drug-Eluting Stents: Do They Increase Heart Attack Risk? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Vulnerable Plaque (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish

Specifics

  • Acute Coronary Syndrome (American Heart Association)
  • Myocardial Ischemia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • What Is Atherosclerosis? From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Genetics

  • Werner syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

  • Coronary artery disease Video (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Test Your Knowledge

  • Coronary Artery Disease Quiz (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Coronary Artery Disease From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: The Impact of Technology-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation on Exercise Capacity and Adherence...
  • Article: Safety and efficacy of low-temperature RA-flush solution in patients with moderate-to-severe...
  • Article: Safety and Efficacy of Cobalt Chromium Everolimus-Eluting Stents for Treatment of...
  • Coronary Artery Disease -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Coronary Arteries (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Heart Information Center (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish
  • How the Heart Works From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

  • American Heart Association
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute From the National Institutes of Health

Women

  • Heart Disease in Women: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

  • Coronary Artery Disease (Heart Attack) (American Geriatrics Society)

Patient Handouts

  • Acute coronary syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Angioplasty and stent - heart - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Angioplasty and stent placement - heart (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Coronary angiography (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Coronary artery spasm (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Coronary heart disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Coronary Artery Disease

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Acute coronary syndrome
  • Angioplasty and stent - heart - discharge
  • Angioplasty and stent placement - heart
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Coronary artery spasm
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Heart PET scan
  • Hypertensive heart disease
  • Left heart catheterization
  • Living with heart disease and angina
  • Magnetic resonance angiography
  • Nuclear stress test
  • Stent
  • VLDL test

Related Health Topics

  • Angina
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
  • Heart Attack
  • Heart Diseases
  • Heart Health Tests

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Coronary Artery Disease is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Coronary Artery Disease

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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