Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Artery Disease Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a condition in which plaques(a fatty deposit on an artery wall in atherosclerosis ) build up in the walls of the coronary arteries (the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle). These deposits can gradually block the artery, or they can suddenly rupture, causing a more acute obstruction. Basically, the heart muscle requires a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients to survive, obstruction of a coronary artery rapidly leads to significant problems. CAD is caused by atherosclerosis(a disease of the arteries characterized by the deposition of plaques of fatty material on their inner walls),a chronic, progressive disorder of the arteries in which deposits of cholesterol, calcium, and abnormal cells (that is, plaques) build up on the inner lining of the arteries. Atherosclerosis – the left artery shows a normal lumen (the central cavit