An Overview of the Causes of Coronary Heart Disease

The cause of coronary heart disease (also called coronary artery disease, or CAD) is a narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. Most of the time, narrowing of coronary arteries is the result of atherosclerosis, which is the thickening and hardening of the inside walls of arteries. Some hardening of the arteries occurs normally as you grow older.

 

Also, although not specific causes of coronary heart disease, certain factors can increase a person's risk for developing heart disease. These are known as heart disease risk factors.

 

The main cause of coronary heart disease is atherosclerosis. Like any muscle, the heart needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which are carried to it by the blood in the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries can become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits known as plaque. This buildup of plaque is a process called atherosclerosis. With atherosclerosis, the coronary arteries cannot supply enough blood to the heart, and the result is coronary heart disease (CHD). If not enough oxygen-carrying blood reaches the heart, you may experience chest pain called angina. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. This is usually due to a sudden closure resulting from a blood clot forming on top of a previous narrowing.