Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease occurs when the blood vessels that supply the heart are constricted due to

plaque

build up in their linings. The plaque build up decreases the amount of blood supply to the heart which can cause

chest pain

(angina),

shortness of breath

,

extreme fatigue

and if the heart is cut off entirely a

heart attack

may occur. A

cardiologist

will determine whether you have coronary artery disease by taking a medical history, performing a medical exam and diagnostic tests. Tests include

electrocardiograms

(ECG),

cardiac MRI’s

and CT’s,

exercise stress tests

, blood tests, monitoring tests and invasive testing such as

cardiac catheterisation

.