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Go to the Hospital if You Have: |
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Sudden crushing or squeezing chest pain
Pain radiating to the jaw and left arm
Sudden pain radiating to the back
Chest palpitations plus shortness of breath, nausea, sweating or dizziness
If your angina medication is not relieving your chest pain
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Overview
What is coronary heart disease?
Blood flows through the coronary arteries to supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart. Atherosclerosis, the gradual build-up of fatty substances on the walls of coronary arteries, may eventually lead to partial or complete blockage of blood flow. The result is coronary artery disease (CAD), or coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is a silent disease until it results in serious chest pain, called angina, or a heart attack.
Who gets CHD?
We all develop some degree of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries as we age, but not everyone has CHD. CHD causes symptoms of angina or heart attack in over 12 million American adults. About 1.1 million have a heart attack each year and just under 500,000 people die of heart attacks.
How is CHD diagnosed?
No single test is used to diagnose coronary heart disease. Blood tests and special procedures to image the coronary arteries are used, together with your medical history and physical exam.
More on Coronary Heart Disease
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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