Causes and Diagnoses

Causes and Diagnoses of Coronary Artery Disease

Risk factors for coronary artery disease are most often lifestyle-related. Controlling these risk factors is key to preventing illness and death from coronary artery disease:

• Diabetes
• Diet high in saturated fat
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides levels and reduced HDL cholesterol
• Physical inactivity
• Smoking
• Obesity

Coronary artery disease may also cause additional problems, including stable angina, acute coronary syndrome and heart failure.

Risk factors that can be controlled or modified include:

• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure
• High blood
• Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Excess weight
• Stress
• Lack of exercise

Risk factors for cardiac and vascular disease that cannot be changed include:

• Family history
• Age
• Gender (male or post-menopausal female)