1. Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) Slideshow Pictures
2. Medical Illustrations of the Heart Image Collection
3. Take the Heart Disease Quiz!

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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The major problem that develops with coronary arteries is the narrowing of their inner passageway (lumen), which in turn restricts, or in severe situations stops the flow of blood to the heart muscle. This restriction or stoppage of blood flow causes heart muscle damage or death because of lack of oxygen. If the occluded coronary artery is a small branch, it is possible that only a small segment of heart muscle will be injured or die, but the person will likely survive. If the occluded artery is large, death is more likely. Angina or chest pain occurs when a coronary artery becomes occluded enough to cause a reduced blood flow that does not meet the demand for oxygen required by the heart muscle.

The most frequent cause of coronary artery narrowing is cholesterol deposits (plaques) that build up in the arteries. Limiting cholesterol in the diet or by slowing its synthesis by the body with medication (or both) are major ways to help limit arterial narrowing. Many other factors may play a role in coronary heart disease such as genetics, disease such as diabetes, lifestyles such as choosing to smoke, and even drug abuse such as using cocaine.

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