Written by Coronary artery disease can lead to:[responsivevoice_button]
- Chest pain (angina). When the coronary arteries narrow, the heart may not get enough blood when it needs it most — like when exercising. This can cause chest pain (angina) or shortness of breath.
- Heart attack. A heart attack can happen if a cholesterol plaque breaks open and causes a blood clot to form. A clot can block blood flow. The lack of blood can damage the heart muscle. The amount of damage depends in part on how quickly you are treated.
- Heart failure. Narrowed arteries in the heart or high blood pressure can slowly make the heart weak or stiff so it’s harder to pump blood. Heart failure is when the heart doesn’t pump blood as it should.
- Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Not enough blood to the heart can alter normal heart signaling, causing irregular heartbeats.
