Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a type of heart disease. Your heart is a muscle and it gets oxygen from the blood that flows through the coronary arteries. In CAD, thick patches of fatty substances stick to the walls of the coronary arteries. These patches are called plaque. As the plaque thickens, the artery opening gets narrow and blood flow slows. This causes the heart to get less blood and oxygen. The plaque, or a blood clot that forms on the plaque, may completely block an artery and stop all blood flow. This narrowing or blockage of the arteries increases your risk for heart attack and sudden death.

Coronary artery disease is caused by gradual blockage of the coronary arteries. Several factors put you at risk for developing CAD:

• a family history of coronary artery disease
• cigarette smoking
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• obesity
• an inactive lifestyle
• high cholesterol