Ischemic Heart Disease

Ischemic heart disease (ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease) is a condition caused by reduced blood flow to the myocardium (heart muscle), an imbalance between oxygen supply and demand, mostly due to atherosclerotic damage to the coronary arteries (the vessels that supply blood to the myocardium).

Atherosclerosis is the diffuse or localized thickening of the arterial wall by the deposition mainly of cholesterol and calcium, which causes a variable reduction in the diameter of the affected vessel until complete, temporary or permanent blockage of blood flow.

The risk factors for atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease are:

Unchangeable:

• Age
• Male sex
• Family history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Editable:

• Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol)
• Diabetes mellitus or low glucose tolerance
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Sedentarism

A number of other factors:

• Increased blood values of fibrinogen, CRP, homocysteine, lipoprotein LP(a), apolipoprotein B
• Stress, depression

The forms of ischemic heart disease are:

• Stable exertional angina pectoris
• Unstable angina pectoris
• Microvascular angina
• Myocardial infarction
• Painless ischemic heart disease
• Ischemic heart failure
• Ischemic rhythm/conduction disturbances
• Sudden death

For more details on the treatment of ischemic heart disease, please visit:

• Interventional cardiology
• Cardiovascular surgery
• Electrophysiology and implantable devices