The coronary arteries are small arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle. This blood flow provides the oxygen and nutrients needed by the heart itself so that it can keep pumping. If the heart has to speed up (for example, during exercise or periods of excitement) and cannot get the blood it needs, it will send out a signal in the form of angina.
The three major coronary arteries are the:
- Left anterior descending artery
- Left circumflex artery
- Right coronary artery
Most people with angina have blockages in one or more of these arteries and/or their branches. A cardiologist (heart specialist) will perform various tests to determine the location and extent of the blockage.
In almost all cases, the underlying cause of angina is the critical narrowing of one or more of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.
Coronary artery disease - also known as coronary heart disease (CHD) or ischemic heart disease (IHD) - affects most people as they age. The coronary arteries become constricted or blocked by atheromas - bulging masses or "plaques" that form within the walls lining the arteries.
The exact cause(s) of coronary artery disease remains unknown. Yet experts have identified some of the risk factors that increase a person's chance of getting this disease. They include:
- Ageing
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Cigarette smoking
- High blood cholesterol
- Being overweight
- Lack of exercise
- Family history of angina or heart attack at a young age
- Diabetes
Certain individuals, though, develop angina without having any of the above common risk factors for CAD.