1. Coronary Artery Disease
By: Jessica Canterbury

2. About the Heart
Strong muscle about the size of a fist
It lies in the center and tilted to the left
Pumps blood, oxygen, and nutrients to al parts of the body
The septum divides the heart into the left and right sides
The right side pumps blood only to the lungs
The left side pumps blood to the whole body
The left side is thicker
3. Blood Flow Through the Heart
Superior/Inferior vena cava
Right atrium
Tricuspid Valve
Right ventricle
Pulmonary vein
Lungs
Pulmonary artery
Left atrium
Mitral Valve
Left ventricle
Aorta (body)
4. What is Coronary Artery Disease?
The walls inside your arteries are normally smooth and flexible, which allows blood to flow through easily. Over years, fatty deposits may build up on the inside of the arterys wall.
Therefore, vessels carrying blood and oxygen to your heart may be narrowed or blocked
5. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Risk Factors
Risk Factors You CANNOT change
Risk Factors you CAN change
Your age - risk goes up as you get older
Gender - men are at greater risk than women and have attacks earlier in life. But women are more likely to die from a heart attack
Heredity - Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves
Race - African American have higher risks, possibly due to high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes
Your family - most people with strong family history of heart disease have one or more other risk factors
Exposure to tobacco smoke - secondhand smoke increases the risk for heart disease
High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, which causes the heart muscles to thick and weak. It also increases your risk for stroke, heart attack and kidney/heart failure
High blood cholesterol can be lowered with changes in diet, activity, and medicine
Physical inactivity regular activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease
Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing CAD
Excess body fat increases the hearts workload and raises blood pressure
6. Diagnostic Tests
Electrocardiogram (ECG)

records the electrical activity of your heart at rest. It can show new heart attack, damaged heart muscle, enlarged heart chambers, abnormal rhythms, and other heart conditions

Exercise ECG Test (stress test)

is done while walking on a treadmill or stationary bicycle. It allows doctors to see how well your heart pumps when it is made to work harder. The exercise ECG can detect problems that may not show up on a resting ECG.

Echocardiogram

uses a radioactive substance to produce images of the heart muscle.

Heart Scan

uses a radioactive substance to produce images of the heart muscle. The heart scan helps identify areas of the heart muscle that is not receiving enough blood.