Coronary artery disease is a type of atherosclerosis
in which plaque builds up inside the arteries that carry blood
to the heart. As the artery walls thicken, the passageway
for blood narrows. Sometimes platelets gather at the narrowing,
forming a clot that decreases or prevents blood flow to the
region of the heart supplied by the artery.
Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death for
both men and women in the United States each year.
