What are the symptoms of coronary artery disease?

Chest pain: The most common symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD) is chest pain, or angina (angina pectoris). Angina is described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling. Angina that begins suddenly or lasts only a few seconds is less likely to be angina. Angina usually begins in the chest, but it can also start or spread to different areas of the body, such as down the left arm (most common site), to the left shoulder, to the neck or lower jaw, to the mid-back, or down the right arm. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn, and the pain can be difficult to pinpoint. The chest pain associated with angina usually begins at a low level, and then gradually increases over several minutes to a peak. Angina that occurs during activities will usually decrease when the activity is stopped. Angina may also be caused by the use of drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines, exposure to cold temperatures, anger, smoking, or eating a heavy meal.

Other symptoms that can occur with coronary artery disease include shortness of breath, palpitations (irregular heart beats or arrhythmias), a fast heartbeat (tachycardia), weakness or dizziness, nausea, and increased sweating.

Heart attack: A heart attack (myocardial infarction) may also occur, and the symptoms in men and women may differ. A study found that many women reported warning symptoms one month prior to having a heart attack. These symptoms included unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, and shortness of breath. Only 30% reported chest pain, which the majority of men report.

Unfortunately, sometimes a heart attack is the first sign of coronary artery disease (CAD). According to the Framingham Heart Study, over 50% of men and 63% of women who died suddenly of CAD (mostly from heart attack) had no previous symptoms of this disease.

Some individuals who have CAD and insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (ischemia) do not have any symptoms. This is called "silent ischemia." In rare instances a patient may even have a "silent heart attack," which is a heart attack without symptoms.

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Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the narrowing of the coronary arteries (the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle), caused by a buildup of fatty material within the walls of the arteries. This buildup causes the inside of the arteries to become rough and narrowed, limiting the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.

Symptoms of coronary artery disease may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• chest pain
• fatigue
• palpitations
• shortness of breath

Unfortunately, there may be no symptoms of early coronary artery disease, yet the disease will continue to progress until sufficient artery blockage exists to cause symptoms and problems. If the blood supply to the heart muscle continues to decrease as a result of increasing obstruction of a coronary artery, a myocardial infarction, or heart attack, may occur. If the blood flow cannot be restored to the particular area of the heart muscle affected, the tissue dies.