Coronary Artery Disease

Amelia Heart & Vascular Center is a respected leader in vascular medicine serving the Northern Virginia area.

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Coronary artery disease is when the arteries that bring oxygen rich blood to the heart are filled with plaque which hardens the artery. This causes the arteries to narrow which leads to poor blood flow.

Causes:

There are a few things that can cause coronary artery disease. These include

  • Smoking
  • High Blood Pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Obesity
  • Alcohol and drug abuse

Symptoms:

Patients that have coronary artery disease will experience the following symptoms

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Heart attack

Imaging and Diagnostics:

If the doctor believes that the patient has coronary artery disease, they may ask the patient to take these imaging tests

  • Electrocardiogram
  • Echocardiogram
  • Stress test
  • Nuclear stress test
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Cardiac angiogram
  • Cardiac CT scan

Treatments:

To treat coronary artery disease, the doctor may prescribe medication, suggest the patient make some lifestyle changes, or suggest an angioplasty procedure.

Lifestyle Changes:

To treat coronary artery disease, the doctor will suggest the patient make some lifestyle changes. Some of these changes include

  • Frequent exercise
  • Eat healthy
  • Reduce stress
  • Maintain healthy weight
  • Cholesterol levels under control
  • Quit smoking
  • Avoid or limit consumption of alcohol

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