All About Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) develops slowly due to plaque buildup in the heart’s arteries. These plaques—made of cholesterol, calcium, and cellular debris—narrow or even block the vessels, reducing oxygen supply to the heart. The most common symptom, angina, is a tight, squeezing chest pain triggered by exertion or emotional stress. In advanced stages, plaque can crack or rupture, prompting blood clots that may cause heart attacks or strokes.

Causes of Coronary Artery Disease

Smoking & Tobacco Use

Tobacco, whether smoked or chewed, significantly raises CAD risk by promoting plaque formation and damaging arterial walls.

High Cholesterol Levels

Elevated LDL (bad cholesterol), total cholesterol, and low HDL (good cholesterol) accelerate plaque buildup in coronary arteries.

Diabetes

High blood sugar damages blood vessels and worsens cholesterol profiles, increasing CAD risk.

High Blood Pressure

Persistent hypertension (above 140/90 mm Hg) damages arteries and promotes plaque formation while raising heart workload.

Common Symptoms of CAD

  • Chest discomfort or pressure (angina)

  • Shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat (palpitations)

  • Feeling unusually fatigued, dizzy, or fainting spells

  • Burning or squeezing sensation spreading to neck, shoulders, arms

  • Atypical chest discomfort, especially in women

If ignored, these symptoms can escalate to heart attacks or sudden cardiac death.

How CAD Is Diagnosed

To accurately diagnose CAD, your cardiologist may recommend:

  • A medical history and physical examination

  • Chest X-ray and 12‑lead ECG

  • Resting echocardiogram to assess heart structure and function

  • Blood tests: lipid profile, blood sugar, HbA1c, kidney and thyroid function

Advanced diagnostics like a stress test, CT coronary angiography, or invasive coronary angiography may also be advised based on initial findings.

Pharmacological Treatment

For stable symptoms or risk reduction, medications may include:

  • Beta‑blockers (reduce heart workload)

  • Calcium‑channel blockers and nitrates (relieve chest pain)

  • Antiplatelets like aspirin or clopidogrel (prevent clots)

  • Statins and lipid‑lowering drugs (stabilise plaques)

  • Antidiabetics and antihypertensives, as needed

Lifestyle Management

Preventing or managing CAD goes hand in hand with daily habits:

  • Eat a balanced diet: whole grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, omega‑3s, MUFAs/PUFAs

  • Exercise regularly (at least 150 minutes of moderate activity/week)

  • Maintain healthy weight

  • Quit smoking and chewing tobacco

  • Monitor and control blood pressure, sugar, and lipids

Prevention & Post-Procedure Care

At Be Heart Healthy, we believe in a proactive approach:

  • Smoking cessation support

  • Tailored diet and exercise plans

  • Long-term follow-up and medication adjustment

  • Support groups and counselling for lifestyle change

  • Post-procedure rehabilitation for angioplasty, stents, or bypass surgery

Causes of Coronary Artery Disease

At Be Heart Healthy, we’re committed to reducing the burden of CAD in India. Under the expert care of Dr Ankur Phatarpekar and our dedicated team, we offer comprehensive prevention, accurate diagnosis, individualized treatment, and long-term heart health support—all within a warm, compassionate environment.

Angina or severe chest pain is the most common and significant manifestation of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) seen as a result of stress-induced pain, emotional trauma, and primarily due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart.

Coronary Artery Disease is a slow process that occurs due to the accumulation of plaque in the arteries of the heart. Sticky substances like cholesterol, calcium deposits, and waste remnants of the body cells cause plaque formation. This causes blockage or spasm in big and small blood vessels of the heart and reduces smooth blood flow in the heart.

Plaque formation generally causes breakage of the blood vessels. As the body’s defense mechanism, clot formation that occurs for natural healing of the blood vessels causes heart stroke.

1. Smoking:
Nicotine consumption in the form of active, passive, or tobacco chewing is one of the strongest causes of CAD in India.

2. High Lipid Profile:
An Increase in cholesterol, LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) and reduction in HDL (High-Density lipoprotein) increases the risk of CAD.

3. Diabetes Mellitus:
High blood glucose levels and imbalance in lipid profile causes heart diseases as a secondary complication.
Also Read: How Diabetes Affects Our Heart Health

4. Hypertension:
Blood pressure above 140/90mm Hg is an indication of high-risk hypertension, a common risk factor for the development of CAD.

  • Severe chest pain or angina
  • Irregular palpitations or heavy breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Faint loss of consciousness or feeling of dizziness
  • A suffocating or burning sensation circulating from center of the heart towards neck, back, throat, shoulders, arms and rest of the upper body
  • Women tend to suffer with chest tightness or discomfort as a beginning symptom of Coronary Artery Disease
  • If these symptoms are left ignored or untreated, they may lead to a stroke or death.
  • Detailed clinical is history taken by the cardiologist to understand the severity, location and duration of the chest pain or angina
  • Medical history of the patient
  • Physical examination of the patient to enable a complete understanding of the symptoms
  • Chest X-ray
  • 12- lead electrocardiography (ECG)
  • Resting echocardiography
  • A full lipid profile, renal profile, thyroid profile, complete blood profile, blood sugar, and Hba1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) profile is also needed for a complete picture.

  • I. Pharmacological Treatment: Used for long term relief from symptoms

    • Beta-blocker
    • Calcium channel blockers
    • Nitrates
    • Combination of antiplatelet agents

    II. Lifestyle management Treatment: Used for prevention of Coronary Artery Disease

    • Dietary intervention including a healthy diet rich in whole grain cereals, pulses, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, foods low in saturated fat and rich in good quality fats like omega-3 fatty acids, MUFA(mono-unsaturated fatty acids) and PUFA(Polyunsaturated fatty acids)
    • A daily pattern of adequate physical activity
    • Weight control measures
    • Management of dyslipidemia
    • Management of blood sugar levels in pre-diabetics and diabetic patients owing to a high risk of developing CAD
    • Management of hypertension
    • Pre and post-treatment measures
    • Anti-smoking and tobacco chewing rehabilitation techniques At Care For Your Heart, we aim at reducing the burden of cardiac diseases in India by emphasizing prevention and disease management in a more efficient manner.
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