Definition of Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary arteries are blood vessels that serve the heart of the food supply to the cells of the heart. Coronary heart disease occurs when the coronary arteries are blocked or narrowed due to fatty deposits, which gradually accumulate in the arterial wall. Accumulation process is called atherosclerosis, and can occur in other arteries, not only in the coronary arteries.

Lack of blood supply due to narrowing of the coronary arteries cause chest pain called angina, which usually occurs during physical activity or stress. If blood does not flow at all because of the blocked coronary artery, the patient can suffer fatal heart attack. Heart attacks can occur anytime, even when you are resting.

Coronary heart disease can also lead to weakened heart pump power so that the blood can not circulate through the body perfectly (heart failure). Patients with heart failure can be hard to breathe because his lungs filled with fluid, feeling very tired, and swelling in the legs and joints.