OVERVIEW | SYMPTOMS | DIAGNOSIS | TREATMENT

Coronary artery disease (CAD) affects more than 17 million Americans, making it the most common form of heart disease. CAD and its complications, like arrhythmia, angina pectoris, and heart attack (also called myocardial infarction), are the leading causes of death in the United States.

Why Choose St. Luke's for Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease?

• A leading heart center. We offer 12 cardiovascular operating rooms, which include 10 operating rooms and two hybrid suites; and 11 cardiac catheterization labs, making us one of the largest heart centers in the world.
• Accredited Chest Pain Center. As an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, our protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether they are having a coronary event.
• Stem cell therapy. Texas Heart® Institute at St. Luke's is actively enrolling patients for FDA-approved clinical studies investigating the use of stem cells in aiding with recovery in cases of heart attack.
• Wrist access cardiac catheterization. St. Luke's is among select U.S. hospitals that offer wrist access cardiac catheterization -- also known as as radial artery access -- that is a patient-friendly method of inspecting and repairing the heart. Learn more about wrist access cardiac catheterization.
  

Atherosclerosis Common Factor in Coronary Artery Disease

CAD most often results from a condition known as atherosclerosis, which happens when a waxy substance forms inside the arteries that supply blood to your heart. This substance, called plaque, is made of cholesterol, fatty compounds, calcium, and a blood-clotting material called fibrin.

Two kinds of plaque:

• Hard plaque. If this type of plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to your heart, the blood flow slows or stops. This decreases the amount of oxygen that gets to the heart, which can lead to a heart attack.
• Soft plaque. Doctors have found that most heart attacks are caused by soft or vulnerable plaque. A vulnerable plaque is an inflamed part of an artery that can burst. This can lead to the formation of a blood clot, which can lead to heart attack.
  

What causes atherosclerosis?
Scientists think the disease starts when the very inner lining of the artery (the endothelium) is damaged. Factors believed to lead to the development of plaque are:

• high blood pressure
• high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood
• smoking

For more information on coronary artery disease, visit the website for Texas Heart Institute, TexasHeart.org.

 

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