Coronary Heart Disease What Is Coronary Heart Disease?

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Heart disease is a general term for conditions that affect the heart’s structure and how it works. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. 

Coronary heart disease is a type of heart disease that occurs when the arteries artery (ARR-tuh-ree):
A blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the organs. Most arteries carry oxygenated blood. The pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood away from the heart to the lungs. of the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen oxygen (OK-sih-jen):
A gas that is essential for humans and other animals to live. It is breathed into the lungs from the air. In the lungs, it enters the bloodstream, where red blood cells transport it to cells throughout your body. -rich blood to the heart muscle due to narrowing from the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque plaque (Plak):
A substance made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. In some cardiovascular diseases, plaque builds up and hardens in arteries. Plaque buildup reduces blood flow and makes it more likely that blood clots will form in the arteries. These blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow and oxygen delivery to the heart, brain, kidneys, or legs, arms, or pelvis. . It is also sometimes called coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease. In 2022, coronary heart disease caused 371,506 deaths in the United States.

Symptoms of coronary heart disease vary from person to person. About 1 in 20 adults aged 20 and older have coronary heart disease. But many people don't know they have the disease until they have chest pain; the blood flow to their heart is blocked, causing a heart attack; or their heart suddenly stops pumping blood, also known as cardiac arrest.

Coronary heart disease affects the larger coronary arteries on the surface of the heart. It is caused by deposits of cholesterol cholesterol (koh-LES-teh-rol):
A waxy, fatlike substance that is found in all the cells of the body. High blood cholesterol increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. , a waxy substance that builds up inside the lining of the coronary arteries, forming plaque plaque (Plak):
A substance made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. In some cardiovascular diseases, plaque builds up and hardens in arteries. Plaque buildup reduces blood flow and makes it more likely that blood clots will form in the arteries. These blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow and oxygen delivery to the heart, brain, kidneys, or legs, arms, or pelvis. . This plaque can partly or completely block blood flow in the arteries of the heart:

• Obstructive coronary artery disease means that the diameter of a large coronary artery is blocked by 50% or more.
• Nonobstructive coronary artery disease means that the blood flow in a large coronary artery is blocked less than 50%.
• Coronary microvascular disease means blood flow into the tiny arteries within the heart muscle is blocked. This happens when there is damage to the inner walls of the heart's small blood vessels. Coronary microvascular disease is more common in women.

For most people, coronary heart disease is preventable with a heart-healthy lifestyle and medicines. You may be able to stop or reverse plaque buildup in coronary arteries.

Learn more about how the heart works.

Your healthcare provider will diagnose coronary heart disease based on your symptoms, your medical and family history, your risk factors, and the results from heart tests.

If you have coronary heart disease, you may need heart-healthy lifestyle changes, medicines, surgery, or a combination of these to manage your condition and prevent serious problems.

FACTSHEET

Know the Difference 

Learn basic facts about the various diseases that affect the heart.

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