CAD and Aortic Disease: Understanding the Connection

Many conditions affect the heart muscle, including coronary artery disease and aortic stenosis, but did you know they are connected? Both conditions lead to severe symptoms and medical issues without treatment.

At the Heart Clinic of Hammond, Dr. Ghiath Mikdadi and Dr. Farid Zayed offer coronary interventions, electrocardiograms, and cardiac catheterization for various heart issues. They get to the bottom of your symptoms and provide personalized treatments for a healthy heart.

What is CAD?

Coronary artery disease is a condition that affects blood flow to the heart due to atherosclerosis. It happens when dangerous plaque builds up inside the arteries, preventing oxygenated blood from reaching the heart.

CAD is a significant component in heart disease, and is the leading cause of death in the United States. Having CAD increases the risk of a heart attack and cardiac arrest.

The narrowing of the arteries leads to various symptoms, including chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue with activity. These symptoms are a significant concern because they could signal a heart attack.

Several people are at risk for CAD, including those who smoke, are obese, and have high cholesterol. People with a family history of heart disease and high blood pressure are also at a higher risk for CAD.

Understanding aortic disease

Aortic disease, or stenosis, is a condition that happens when the valve that controls blood to the aorta narrows, restricting blood flow to the rest of the body. It often begins mildly and can become severe, causing the left ventricle to work harder.

Aortic stenosis can be congenital, but it often happens with age due to calcium buildup and scarring. These damage the valve, causing narrow and restricted blood flow to the aorta.

Most people don't notice any symptoms of aortic stenosis until it gets severe. When the amount of blood to the body becomes restricted, symptoms may include chest pain, trouble breathing, and dizziness or fainting.

The connection between CAD and aortic disease

Unfortunately, there's a strong link between CAD and aortic stenosis. They often happen together and share common risk factors and symptoms.

For instance, both conditions happen with age and are due to issues like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking. They also both include inflammation from atherosclerosis, which leads to narrowing of the valves and vessels and restricted blood flow.

Both conditions also lead to similar symptoms, including shortness of breath and chest pain, which makes it challenging to address the root cause of the problem and arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

Many people with one condition often develop the other due to shared risk factors and etiology, which affect blood flow into the heart, body, and other organs.

Managing CAD and aortic disease

The treatment for CAD and aortic disease depends on its severity and your symptoms. We suggest a stress test to determine the severity of either condition.

We often treat the factors that contribute to CAD and aortic stenosis. These treatments include medications and lifestyle modifications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

However, in severe cases where restricted blood flow is significant, we offer coronary intervention procedures such as a valvoplasty for aortic stenosis or a balloon angioplasty for CAD.

These procedures compress or remove plaque, allowing the arteries and valves to function properly.

Don't hesitate to contact the Heart Clinic of Hammond team today in Hammond or Amite, Louisiana, to discuss CAD or aortic stenosis treatments or request an appointment online.