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CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
Coronary artery disease occurs is an aspect of heart disease in which the arteries become clogged and narrowed and restrict blood flow to the heart, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Without adequate blood, the heart becomes starved of oxygen, and this oxygen deprivation causes a cramping of the heart muscle, which is known as ischemia. Coronary artery disease is diagnosed by electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), exercise stress tests, and cardiac catheterization. Note: A catheterization procedure is generally referred to as a cath, and a cath will reveal the level of blockage in a main artery. CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), or heart failure, is an aspect of heart disease in which blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing congestion in the tissues. This occurs because the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. Often swelling (edema) results, as this condition affects the kidneys' ability to dispose of sodium and water. Sometimes fluid collects in the lungs and interferes with breathing, causing shortness of breath, especially when a person is lying down. CHF is often diagnosed during a physical examination, at which time a doctor can listen to your chest with a stethoscope for the crackling sounds of fluid in the lungs, heart murmur, or the presence of a very quick heartbeat. A doctor may tap on the chest to find out if fluid has built up. A chest x-ray can reveal an enlarged heart or the presence of fluid around the lungs. Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) is used to check for an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), stress on the heart, or past heart attack. Echocardiography is used to determine valve function, heart wall motion, and overall size of the heart. People 40 and older have a 1 in 5 chance of developing CHF in their lifetimes. ARTERIOSCLEROSIS Arteriosclerosis, commonly called "hardening of the arteries," is an aspect of heart disease that occurs when fatty or calcium deposits in the artery walls cause them to thicken. This condition is apparently an inevitable result of aging; the walls of blood vessels become stiffer as time passes, as does all connective tissue of the body. Arteriosclerosis is a term that actually comprises a group of coronary diseases. These diseases often occur in people who have had diabetes for a long time. The most well known result of this condition is heart attack, also called myocardial infarction. In most heart attacks both atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are present. Atherosclerosis causes plaque build up in the artery, and arteriosclerosis stiffens the arteries so that they cannot expand to compensate for the blockage caused by plaque formation. Thus, blood flow through the heart is restricted by the obstruction caused by the plaque. |


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