Coronary Artery Disease Specialist

What is coronary artery disease?

Coronary artery disease, often referred to as CAD, is a condition that develops when major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood get diseased or damaged. That can lead to inflammation and narrowed vessels, increasing your risk of shortness of breath and a heart attack. You might not know you have CAD until you develop complications.

What are the symptoms of coronary artery disease?

In the early stages of CAD, you likely won’t have any symptoms. As the disease progresses, however, you could experience chest pain, shortness of breath, a heart attack, heart failure, or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia). Seek medical attention immediately if you have any of these symptoms, as a heart attack can be life-threatening.

What are the risk factors for coronary artery disease?

While CAD can happen to anyone, some factors boost your risk. Examples include:

• Family history of CAD
• Older age
• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Physical inactivity
• Diabetes
• Being overweight
• Ongoing stress
• Unhealthy eating habits

The cause of CAD isn’t always clear. Adopting healthy habits, such as getting regular exercise and eating nutritious foods, is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of CAD.

How does my doctor diagnose CAD?

To find out if you have coronary artery disease, SWICFT Cardiology specialists discuss your medical history and symptoms with you. They check your pulse, blood pressure, and other vital signs and complete a physical exam.

Your cardiologist may recommend undergoing blood tests or a cardiac CT scan, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram (EKG), exercise stress test, nuclear stress test, or another heart-function test. They may insert a catheter into your vein or artery during cardiac catheterization and angiogram. 

How is coronary artery disease treated?

Common CAD treatments include:

Lifestyle changes

Adopting healthy habits can help you better manage coronary artery disease. Examples include controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels, not smoking, managing diabetes if you have it, and limiting animal fats, added sugar, and sodium. 

Eat heart-healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, avocados, and fatty fish. Limit alcohol, get regular exercise, properly manage stress, and maintain an ideal body weight.

Medications

Your heart specialist could recommend taking medications to reduce the risk of complications linked with CAD. Take prescribed medicines exactly as directed by your provider.

Medical procedures 

Minor procedures can open narrowed or blocked blood vessels. Your heart specialist may suggest angioplasty with stent placement, coronary artery bypass surgery, or other specialized procedures.

To find out if you have coronary artery disease or get treated for it, call the SWICFT Cardiology office or schedule an appointment online today.