What Is Coronary Artery Disease?
Coronary artery disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) become hardened and narrowed. The arteries harden and become narrow due to the buildup of
plaque on the inner walls or lining of the arteries (
atherosclerosis). Blood flow to the heart is reduced as plaque narrows the coronary arteries. This decreases the oxygen supply to the heart muscle.
Other names for coronary artery disease are:
- CAD
- Coronary heart disease (CHD)
- Heart disease
- Ischemic heart disease.
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease
(see
Heart Diseases for other types of heart disease). About 13 million people in the United States have coronary artery disease. It is the number one killer of both men and women. Based on 2003 data, 685,089 people died from coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease and
stroke (another
cardiovascular disease) account for nearly 40 percent of all deaths.
Coronary heart disease statistics from 2004 indicate that the total number of adults in the United States living with coronary artery disease at that time was 24.7 million. This represented 11.5 percent of the population. Approximately 4.4 million people were hospitalized because of coronary artery disease, with the average hospital stay lasting 4.6 days.
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