Coronary Artery Disease

How can you recognize it?

Angina pectoris is the usual indication of coronary artery disease. It is a pain felt right in the middle of the chest, behind the sternum (not generally on the side), which can spread towards the neck or the jaw, or the arm and the wrist (and feel like handcuffs), most often on the left side.

More details

What happens when you have coronary artery disease?

To function, the heart needs energy and oxygen, supplied by the blood in the coronary arteries. Coronary artery disease occurs when one or more of these arteries is partially obstructed by atheromatous plaques. Angina pectoris may occur when the artery is more than 50% obstructed.

More details

What must you do if you have pain?

It takes a few hours for the part of the myocardium (cardiac muscle) supplied by the artery to be destroyed.
If the artery can be cleared within minutes, or the first few hours after its obstruction, the extent of the infarction will be limited. Every hour counts!

More details

The causes of coronary artery disease

Cardiovascular illnesses do not have a single cause!
For men and women, the risk factors accumulate to create the disease.
They are accelerators of the formation of atheroma.
We are used to a different reasoning when dealing with infectious diseases: one germ causes one illness! Here several factors may cause your arteries to deteriorate.

What examinations are required?

To find out whether chest pain is due to coronary artery disease, your doctor may perform additional examinations.

More details

Treatments of coronary artery disease

More details

Dr Elkik

© 2010 LES LABORATOIRES SERVIER,
an incorporated company of SERVIER
All Rights Reserved - Terms of Use
Page last updated on 15/09/2008 - Get the latest updates
SERVIER does not sell its products over the Internet - More information