Coronary Artery Disease: Types, Symptoms, Causes and PET CT as diagnostic tool

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the condition related to heart, when the arteries supplying blood to heart get narrowed for blocked. This condition can occur due to the deposition of plague in the arteries. The deposition of plague reduces the blood flow to the heart and can cause chest pain, shortness of breath or even heart attack. The main cause of the CAD disease is considered to be atherosclerosis (deposition of cholesterol and other substances). The deposited cholesterol makes the arteries narrow and less elastic, which disrupts the easy flow of blood and leads above mentioned conditions. This plaque can also deposit and make a clot which can stop the blood flow abruptly and can cause heart attack. There are not such visible symptoms, so it is important to keep a check on the heart health by regular checkup and eat healthy. There are various tests used for the detection of coronary artery disease like blood tests, cardiac MRI, Echo, chest X ray, ECG etc.

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the condition when the arteries carrying blood to heart get narrowed due to deposition of plaque. This plague is usually cholesterol and other substances that deposit on the wall of the arteries. The buildup of plague takes years and is get unnoticed over the time. But it can suddenly block the artery and lead to heart attack that is why CAD is also called silent killer. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the common diseases around the world and is leading cause of deaths around the world.

What are the different types of Coronary Artery Disease?

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is classified into 3 main types and these are obstructive CAD, non-obstructive CAD and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). 

• Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): This is the common type of CAD, which results due to the deposition of cholesterol and other substances on the walls of the arteries. This reduces the blood supply and can lead to heart attack.
• Non Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): This condition is not by the buildup of the plague but due to other reasons like:
• Coronary Vasospasm
• Myocardial Bridging
• Endothelial Dysfunction
• Microvascular disease
• Coronary slow flow syndrome
• Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD): This is the rare type of CAD in which the blood vessel ruptures and leading to the heart attack like condition.

What are the symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease?

The symptoms are usually very mild in nature until some sudden abnormality to heart happens. That is why it is also called silent killer disease. There are some symptoms which can point to the condition of CAD and these symptoms are:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Pain radiating through other areas like jaw, arm, back etc.
• Lightheadedness
• Sweating
• Dizziness

What are the causes of Coronary Artery Disease?

Atherosclerosis (gradual buildup of plague on vessels) is main cause of the coronary artery disease. There are other risk factors which can lead to the condition of coronary artery disease and these are:

• Genetics from family
• Older age like above 45 in males and 55 in females
• Consumption of saturated fat
• No exercise
• Not getting enough sleep
• Smoking
• High BP
• High HDL
• High LDL
• High triglycerides
• Anemia
• Diabetes
• Metabolic symptoms
• Endometriosis

What conditions does PET CT scan detect in the Coronary Artery Disease?

PET CT diagnostic tool can detect various conditions in Coronary Artery Disease and these include:

• Helps to detect coronary arteries
• Helps to assess myocardial viability
• Helps to evaluate heart failure
• Helps to monitor effectiveness of treatment
• Helps to differentiate between healthy and damaged heart.

What are the different types of tests used for the detection of Coronary Artery Disease other than PET CT scan?

There are various tests used for the detection of Coronary Artery Disease other than PET CT scan. These include:

• Physical Exam
• Blood pressure/ listen to heart
• Blood tests
• Cardiac catheterization
• CT coronary Angiogram
• Heart MRI
• Coronary calcium scan
• Echo
• ECG
• Chest stress Test
• Chest X ray

Conclusion

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the condition related to heart which occurs due to deposition of plague on the walls of heart arteries. This makes the blood flow less toward the heart and person can feel chest pain, shortness of breath or even heart attack in severe cases. There are not any visible known symptoms but it is buildup of plague over the years and can caused heart attack suddenly. That is why CAD is also called silent killer. The main cause of CAD is atherosclerosis and other risk factors include age, smoking, saturated fats, no exercise etc. There are 3 types of CAD and various tests are used for the detection of CAD condition. PET CT is one of the best diagnostic tests which is helpful in determining the condition of heart and the arteries supplying blood in more detailed way. In CAD PET CT scan rubidium-82 is commonly used radioactive tracer, while nitrogen-13 ammonia is another option.