Coronary artery disease and heart attacks

Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the arteries that supply blood to your heart become narrow. This narrowing is caused by atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque (fatty deposits). There are two types of plaque:

• hard: Hard plaque causes the arteries to become hardened and thick. This type of plaque can cause angina and heart attack.
• soft: Soft plaque can break open or break apart and cause a clot. This type of plaque can cause heart attack or stroke (a blocked blood vessel that stops or interrupts blood and oxygen flow to the brain).

Angina and heart attack can cause the same chest discomfort or pain, but a heart attack doesn't go away after 15 minutes or after taking nitroglycerin. Heart attack, which can cause permanent damage to the heart if medical help isn't sought, is also called a myocardial infarction.

Nitroglycerin

Treats high blood pressure, and certain heart problems such as angina (chest pain) or a heart attack.

Learn more about nitroglycerin here.

Risk factors (habits or conditions that increase your chance of getting CAD) are:

• age
• family history of early heart disease
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• tobacco use
• lack of regular exercise
• obesity
• high levels of stress
• diabetes.

High blood pressure

Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure.

Learn more about high blood pressure here.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance made by your liver and found in the food you eat.

Learn more about cholesterol here.

Tobacco use

Tobacco use is the most preventable cause of death in the U.S. Cigarette smokers are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease than nonsmokers, and 10 times as likely to develop peripheral arterial disease (known as PAD).

Learn more about tobbaco use here.

Obesity

Nearly two-thirds of the United States population is overweight. There are many ways to determine if a person is overweight, but experts believe that a person's body mass index (BMI) is the best way to assess an adult's weight in relation to their height.

Learn more about obesity here.

Stress

Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another.

Learn more about stress here.

Angina and heart attack questions and answers

Especially for women

Symptoms of a heart attack may be different for women. Research shows that women who have heart attacks often wait longer than men to seek emergency medical help.

One possible reason is that women sometimes have symptoms that are different from the ones most often associated with a heart attack. As a result, they may not even realize they are in trouble.

Watch for the following signs that are common in women:

• discomfort or pain in your upper body or chest such as pressure, squeezing or tightness lasting more than a few minutes
• pain that moves to your shoulders, neck, arms, jaw, teeth or back and is spread around. Other possible locations of pain caused by heart problems are midchest, shoulders, elbows, upper abdomen or fingers
• sudden weakness and/or unusual tiredness, lightheadedness, sweating, or shortness of breath, nausea or loss of appetite.

The key to surviving a heart attack is to recognize warning signals quickly and get medical help right away.