Coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease
What is coronary heart disease?
Coronary heart disease, or CHD, is what doctors call it when the blood flow to the heart becomes interrupted or reduced. You may also hear it called ischaemic heart disease. Both names refer to the same condition.
In most cases, this reduced blood flow happens because of atherosclerosis. This is when a fatty material called atheroma gradually builds up inside the coronary arteries. Over time, this buildup narrows the arteries and limits how much blood can pass through them.
If a piece of this atheroma breaks away, it can block an artery completely and cut off the heart's blood supply. When this happens, it is called a heart attack.
You can find more information on how the following are diagnosed, treated and managed:
- a heart attack
- angina
Common Symptoms
Emergency Warning Signs
Phone 999 straightaway if you or someone nearby has any of these symptoms:
- chest pain or discomfort in the centre of the chest that does not go away, felt as pressure, tightness or squeezing
- pain spreading down the left arm, or down both arms, or into the neck, jaw, back or stomach
- loss of consciousness
- seizures or fitting
- trouble breathing, with snoring or rasping sounds
- a racing heartbeat
- a heartbeat that is very slow or cannot be felt at all
- chest pain along with breathlessness, nausea, sweating or coughing up blood
- you believe you or someone else may be having a heart attack
People with coronary heart disease (CHD) can sometimes go on to develop heart failure. This happens when the heart grows too weak to pump blood around the body properly, and fluid can then build up in the lungs, making breathing harder and harder.
Microvascular angina is a different problem, affecting the tiny blood vessels that carry blood to the heart. It happens when these small vessels either fail to open up properly to let blood through, or narrow so severely that they block blood flow to the heart. The main symptom is chest pain, which can come on at any time, and lifestyle changes are often enough to ease it.
You can read more about microvascular angina, and about how heart disease affects women in particular, in the sections below.
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
When to See a Doctor
Phone 999 straightaway if you or someone nearby has any of these symptoms:
- chest pain or discomfort in the centre of the chest that does not go away, felt as pressure, tightness or squeezing
- pain spreading down the left arm, or down both arms, or into the neck, jaw, back or stomach
- loss of consciousness
- seizures or fitting
- trouble breathing, with snoring or rasping sounds
- a racing heartbeat
- a heartbeat that is very slow or cannot be felt at all
- chest pain along with breathlessness, nausea, sweating or coughing up blood
- you believe you or someone else may be having a heart attack
People with coronary heart disease (CHD) can sometimes go on to develop heart failure. This happens when the heart grows too weak to pump blood around the body properly, and fluid can then build up in the lungs, making breathing harder and harder.
Microvascular angina is a different problem, affecting the tiny blood vessels that carry blood to the heart. It happens when these small vessels either fail to open up properly to let blood through, or narrow so severely that they block blood flow to the heart. The main symptom is chest pain, which can come on at any time, and lifestyle changes are often enough to ease it.
You can read more about microvascular angina, and about how heart disease affects women in particular, in the sections below.
Causes
Risk factors for coronary heart disease
There are various risk factors for heart disease, some of which you have control over and others that you don’t.
Uncontrollable risk factors
Uncontrollable risk factors for heart disease include:
- age
- family history of heart disease or stroke
- ethnicity
- being post-menopausal
Lifestyle risk factors
Your risk can also be increased by certain lifestyle factors. These are sometimes called controllable risk factors. For example, your diet, level of physical activity and smoking habits.
You can make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of heart disease, including:
- eating a balanced diet
- weight management
- keeping active and exercising regularly
- stopping smoking
Health conditions
If you’ve been diagnosed with some other health conditions, you might also be at increased risk of heart disease. These conditions include:
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- high cholesterol
- type 2 diabetes
- polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis
Support groups
You might find support groups useful if you:
- have a heart condition
- have had a heart condition in the past
- are caring for someone with a heart condition
Your GP or specialist should be able to provide you with details about your nearest support group. You can also search Scotland’s Services Directory.
Information and support for people living with a heart condition is also provided by:
- The British Heart Foundation
- Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland
Don’t include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions.
Diagnosis
Doctors use several tests to check for coronary heart disease, such as:
- CT coronary angiography (CTCA)
- coronary angiography
- electrocardiogram (ECG)
- thallium scan (myocardial perfusion scintigraphy)
- MRI scan