What is Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)?
Coronary heart disease (CHD) (also known as atherosclerotic coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease) is caused by atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque on the insides of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Over time, this causes these blood vessels to become narrow. Since not as much blood can pass through, the blood supply to heart muscle is reduced. The clinical symptoms of CHD can be angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or simply, sudden death. By far the most common cause of CHD is coronary artery atherosclerosis, a patchy nodular type of arteriosclerosis (a general term for hardening and thickening of the artery wall), which causes reduced perfusion and increased susceptibility to occlusion.
