Coronary arteries are two large arteries that ascend from the aorta and supply the whole heart with blood. Occlusion means the obstruction, trapping of a liquid or gas. Thus, coronary occlusion is the blockage of a coronary vessel often by thrombosis or atheroma. This may cause myocardial infarction (heart attack).
If the coronary arteries in your heart are narrow this consequently means that they cannot supply enough oxygenated blood to your heart. To begin with you may not experience any coronary artery disease symptoms however as the plaque increases the build up inside of the arteries you may develop the disease and symptom such as:
Angina (chest pain) – This is a pressured tightness of the chest. Angina usually occurs in the middle left side of the chest and is normally triggered by emotional or physical stress.
Shortness of breath – When your heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the requirement of the bodies needs then shortness of breath may develop as well as fatigue.
Heart attack – If a coronary artery is completely and entirely blocked then it may cause a heart attack including pressure in the chest, pain in shoulder or arm, shortness of breath as well as sweating. However sometimes a heart attack can occur with no apparent signs or symptoms.
Causes
It is thought that damage to the inner layer of the coronary artery is what causes the disease however below are some other factors that may contribute:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- High levels of cholesterol
- Diabetes or insulin resistance
- Sedentary lifestyle (inactivity)
Risk factors
- Age, with age there is an increased risk of the arteries becoming narrower, thus heightening the chances of coronary occlusion
- Sex, men are typically more likely to be affected than women however after menopause the risk increases
- Family history, family history with heart attack puts you at a higher risk of acquiring coronary heart disease. The risk is highest if your father or brother were diagnosed before the age of 55 or if your mother or sister developed it before the age of 65.
- Smoking
- High blood pressure this can result in the hardening and thickening of arteries
- High cholesterol levels in blood, this can lead to the formation of plaques and atherosclerosis. High cholesterol levels can be caused by a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, also known as the “bad” cholesterol). Similarly a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL known as the “good” cholesterol) can be a sign of atherosclerosis.
- Diabetes, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease share similar causes such as obesity and high blood pressure
- Overweight/obesity
- Inactivity
- High levels of stress
Researches are finding that there may be other causes such as:
- Sleep apnea, this disorder causes you to stop breathing whilst sleeping and then start again and then stop. The drop in oxygen levels in blood puts a large amount of pressure and strain on the cardiovascular system
- High sensitivity C reaction protein (hs-CRP) is a protein that appears when there is inflammation somewhere in the body. High levels of this protein are thought to maybe be a cause of heart disease. It is also thought that the narrower the arteries the more hs CRP you will have in your blood
- High triglycerides, the more lipids in your blood the higher the chance, especially in women