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Overview
Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called
coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerotic heart disease, is the end result
of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that
supply the myocardium (the muscle of the heart). While
the symptoms and signs of coronary heart disease are noted in the advanced state
of disease, most individuals with coronary heart disease show no evidence of disease
for decades as the disease progresses before the first onset of symptoms, often
a "sudden" heart attack, finally arise. After
decades of progression, some of these atheromatous plaques may rupture and (along
with the activation of the blood clotting system) start limiting blood flow to
the heart muscle. The
disease is the most common cause of sudden death. <<back |