The term Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) covers a range of symptoms and medical conditions caused by a reduction in blood flow to the heart because of a narrowing of the arteries that supply it.
The heart, like all muscles, needs oxygen from the blood to function. The heart has its own blood vessels called the coronary arteries but these arteries can become clogged in places with fatty deposits (atheroma) that narrow them, restricting the blood-flow. This narrowing of the heart’s arteries is what leads to coronary heart disease.
The commonest cause of heart failure is heart disease. Although it is a serious condition it can be treated very effectively
The most common examples of coronary heart disease are:
Angina
Felt as a recurrent pain in the chest, which may radiate to the arms, throat, neck or jaw and is caused by the coronary arteries becoming too narrowed to supply sufficient blood in response to increased demands such as exercise, causing a cramp-like pain.
Angina often responds well to medication and lifestyle changes, but where pain cannot be regulated it may be treated with physical methods to unblock the artery, such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or angioplasty (instrumental dilation of artery, sometimes leaving a structure in place - stent - to try to prevent the recurrence of narrowing of artery).
Heart Attack
Called an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), this happens when a coronary artery becomes blocked, either by a blood clot or a loose piece of fatty deposit and an area of the heart muscle becomes deprived of blood and is damaged. The sudden loss of blood supply usually causes severe pain, nausea and sweating and may make the heart beat unstable and effectively stop.
Heart Failure
Heart Failure Is when the heart becomes less efficient at pumping blood around the body. The commonest cause of heart failure is heart disease. Although it is a serious condition it can be treated very effectively.