The Basics
This picture shows a normal artery with normal blood flow (Figure A) and an artery with plaque (Figure B).
What is Heart Disease?
When people talk about heart disease, they are usually talking about coronary artery disease (CAD). This is the most common type of heart disease.
CAD is when the arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle become narrow or blocked. This happens when plaque (plak) builds up on the inner wall of the artery. The more plaque there is, the less blood can flow through to the heart.
