 What is Coronary Heart Disease?  Who is at Risk for Coronary Heart Disease?  Signs and Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease.  How Is Coronary Heart Disease Diagnosed/ treated ?  Nuclear Medicine Part !!!

 (CAD) is one type of heart disease that occurs when the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) are narrowed or blocked. This narrowing or blockage is most often caused by the buildup of fat (cholesterol) and calcium inside the walls of the arteries leading to the heart. This process is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The buildup of fat and calcium inside the arteries is called a plaque.  Coronary artery disease leads to Myocardial ischemia (angina)and myocardial infarction.

 10 Factors That Increase the Risk of Heart Disease and Heart Attack:  1) Tobacco Smoke  2) High Blood Cholesterol  3) High Blood Pressure  4) Physical Inactivity  5) Obesity and Overweight  6) Diabetes Mellitus  7) Stress  8) Alcohol  9) Diet and Nutrition  10) Age

 Angina, angina can be described as a heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling. usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the left shoulder, arms, neck, back, or jaw.  Chest pain (character,site,increase by,decrease by,association).  Shortness of breath  Palpitations (irregular heart beats)or afaster heartbeat.  Weakness or dizziness  Nausea  Sweating

 Cardiac ischemia occurs when plaque and fatty matter narrow the inside of an artery to a point where it cannot supply enough oxygen- rich blood to meet your heart's needs.  Reversible condition Ischemia is most commonly experienced during  increase by:-  Exercise  Eating  Excitement or stress  Exposure to cold

 Irreversible damage to the myocardium caused by lack of blood supply as a result of occluded arteries.  Can occur with no signs or symptoms(silent).  Can cause sudden death.

Your doctor can tell if you have coronary artery disease by:  Talking to you about your symptoms, medical history, and risk factors.  Performing a physical exam.  Performing diagnostic tests, including an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), exercise stress tests, electron beam (ultrafast) CT scans, cardiac catheterization.exercise stress tests  Radionuclide imaging

 LDH  CK-MB  Tropp- I  Radionuclide studies  Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy  Exercise radionuclide ventriculography  Echocardiography  Ambulatory ECG monitoring  Coronary arteriography

 Congestive heart failure  Myocardial rupture  Arrhythmia  Pericarditis  Cardiogenic shock

 Treatment for coronary artery disease involves making lifestyle changes, taking medications, possibly undergoing invasive and/or surgical procedures, and seeing your cardiologist for regular checkups.  Reduce risk factors. Quit smoking. Avoid high-cholesterol foods and adopt a low-fat, low-salt diet. Keep blood sugar in control if you have diabetes. Exercise more to maintain a healthy weight.  Medications. If making lifestyle changes isn't enough to control heart disease, medications may be needed to help heart work more efficiently and receive more oxygen-rich blood. The drugs you are on depend on you and your specific heart problem.

 Surgery and other procedures. Common procedures to treat coronary artery disease include balloon angioplasty (PTCA), stent placement, and coronary artery bypass surgery. All of these procedures increase blood supply to the heart, but they do not cure coronary heart disease. You will still need to decrease your risk factors to prevent future disease.

, Cardiovascular System 15

Chapter 18, Cardiovascular System 17