Living With Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) can cause serious complications. However, if you follow your doctor's advice and change your habits, you can prevent or reduce the chances of:

• Dying suddenly from heart problems
• Having a heart attack and permanently damaging your heart muscle
• Damaging your heart because of reduced oxygen supply
• Having arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)

Ongoing Health Care Needs

Doing physical activity regularly, taking prescribed medicines, following a heart healthy eating plan, and watching your weight can help control CAD. (See "How Is Coronary Artery Disease Treated?" for more information).

See your doctor regularly to keep track of your blood pressure and blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A cholesterol blood test will show your levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol, and triglycerides. A fasting blood glucose test will check your blood sugar level and show if you're at risk for or have diabetes. These tests will show whether you need more treatments for your CAD.

Talk to your doctor about how often you should schedule office visits or blood tests. Between those visits, call your doctor if you develop any new symptoms or if your symptoms worsen.

CAD raises your risk for heart attack.  Learn the symptoms of heart attack and arrhythmia.  Call 9–1–1 if you have any of these symptoms for more than 5 minutes:

• Chest discomfort or pain—uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that can be mild or strong. This discomfort or pain lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
• Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath, which may occur with or before chest discomfort.

It's important to know the difference between angina and a heart attack. During a heart attack, the pain is usually more severe than angina, and it doesn't go away when you rest or take medicine. If you don't know whether your chest pain is angina or a heart attack, call 9–1–1.

Let the people you see regularly know you're at risk for a heart attack. They can seek emergency care if you suddenly faint, collapse, or develop other severe symptoms.

You may feel depressed or anxious if you've been diagnosed with CAD and/or had a heart attack. You may worry about heart problems or making lifestyle changes that are necessary for your health. Your doctor may recommend medicine, professional counseling, or relaxation therapy if you have depression or anxiety.

Physical activity can improve mental well-being, but you should talk to your doctor before starting any fitness activities. It's important to treat any anxiety or depression that develops because it raises your risk of having a heart attack.