Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a disease affecting the arteries that surround the heart and supply blood to the heart muscle. The most common cause of CAD is arteriosclerosis, commonly called "hardening of the arteries."

The coronary arteries can become narrowed when plaque (a combination of cholesterol and other fats, calcium and certain other elements carried in the blood) builds up on the inside of the artery walls. When plaque builds up and narrows the arteries, less blood, and therefore less oxygen and other nutrients, reaches the heart muscle. This can lead to chest pain (angina pectoris) or to a heart attack (myocardial infarction).