Coronary Heart DiseaseSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also called coronary artery disease.
Heart disease; Coronary heart disease; Coronary artery disease; Arteriosclerotic heart disease; CHD; CAD
CHD is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women.
CHD is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries to your heart. This may also be called hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.
- Fatty material and other substances form a plaque buildup on the walls of your coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to your heart.
- This buildup causes the arteries to get narrow.
- As a result, blood flow to the heart can slow down or stop.
A risk factor for heart disease is something that increases your chance of getting it. You cannot change some risk factors for heart disease, but you can change others.
In some cases, symptoms may be very noticeable. But, you can have the disease and not have any symptoms. This is more often true in the early stages of CHD.
Chest pain or discomfort (angina) is the most common symptom. You feel this pain when the heart is not getting enough blood or oxygen. The pain may feel different from person to person.
- It may feel heavy or like someone is squeezing your heart. You may feel it under your breast bone (sternum). You may also feel it in your neck, arms, stomach, or upper back.
- The pain most often occurs with activity or emotion. It goes away with rest or a medicine called nitroglycerin.
Some people have symptoms other than chest pain, such as:
- Fatigue
- Feeling lightheaded or passing out
- Shortness of breath
- General weakness
You may be asked to take one or more medicines to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels. Follow your provider's directions closely to help prevent CHD from getting worse.
Goals for treating these conditions in people who have CHD:
- The most commonly used blood pressure target for people with heart disease is less than 130/80, but your provider may recommend a different blood pressure target.
- If you have diabetes, your HbA1c (glycohemoglobin A1c) blood levels will be monitored and brought down to the level your provider recommends.
- Your LDL cholesterol level will be lowered with a statin or other medicines.
Treatment depends on your symptoms and how severe the disease is. You should know about:
- Other medicines used to treat angina.
- What to do when you have chest pain.
- Being active when you have heart disease.
- Eating a heart-healthy diet.
Never stop taking your medicines without first talking to your provider. Stopping heart medicines suddenly can make your angina worse or cause a heart attack.
You may be referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program to help improve your heart's fitness.
Procedures and surgeries used to treat CHD include:
- Angioplasty and stent placement, called percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs)
- Coronary artery bypass surgery
- Minimally invasive heart surgery
Houston Methodist Debakey Cardiology Associates
Khurram Nasir is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Nasir is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Coronary Heart Disease. He is also highly rated in 24 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Atherosclerosis, Coronary Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), and Heart Bypass Surgery.
Guggenheim Pavilion
George Dangas is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in New York, New York. Dr. Dangas is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Coronary Heart Disease. He is also highly rated in 45 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Attack, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).
New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center
Gregg Stone is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in New York,, New York. Dr. Stone is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Coronary Heart Disease. He is also highly rated in 27 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Heart Attack, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and Heart Bypass Surgery.
Everyone recovers differently. Some people can stay healthy by changing their diet, stopping smoking, and taking their medicines as prescribed. Others may need medical procedures such as angioplasty or surgery.
In general, early detection of CHD generally leads to a better outcome.
If you have any risk factors for CHD, talk to your provider about prevention and possible treatment steps.
Contact your provider, call 911 or the local emergency number or go to the emergency room right away if you have:
- Angina or chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Symptoms of a heart attack
- Sudden loss of consciousness
Take these steps to help prevent heart disease.
- If you smoke or use tobacco, stop. There are many resources available to help you stop smoking or using tobacco.
- Learn how to eat a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions. For example, choose heart-healthy fats over butter and other saturated fats.
- Get regular exercise, ideally at least 30 minutes five days per week. If you have heart disease, talk with your provider about starting an exercise routine.
- Maintain a healthy body weight.
- Lower high cholesterol with lifestyle changes, and if needed, statin or other medicines.
- Lower high blood pressure using diet and medicines.
- Talk with your provider about aspirin therapy.
- If you have diabetes, keep it well-managed to help prevent a heart attack and stroke.
Even if you already have heart disease, taking these steps will help protect your heart and prevent further damage.
Summary: The primary goal of this clinical trial is to test the hypothesis that the drug canakinumab (anti-IL-1B monoclonal antibody) decreases vascular inflammation when used by people with a history of coronary artery disease, including those with and without clonal hematopoiesis driven by mutations in TET2.
Summary: The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of olpasiran, compared to placebo, on the risk for coronary heart disease death (CHD death), myocardial infarction, or urgent coronary revascularization in participants at risk for a first major cardiovascular event with elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp\[a\]).
Published Date: January 27, 2026
Published By: Thomas S. Metkus MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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