Are there benefits of cardiac catheterization for stable coronary artery disease?

One of the main causes of chest pain is a blockage of blood flow down the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that deliver oxygenated blood to our heart muscle to allow it to beat. Depending on how fast the blockage forms, it is labeled as either a stable or unstable blockage. Unstable blockages occur quickly when an atherosclerotic plaque ruptures within the coronary artery and a clot forms on top of it. The clot, along with the plaque, can obstruct blood flow, deprive heart muscle of oxygen, and lead to a heart attack. This is called an acute coronary syndrome, and it frequently requires a minimally invasive procedure called a cardiac catheterization to diagnose the blockage and then provide options to treat it. When the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries occurs gradually, most patients have little to no symptoms. As the blockage expands over time, patients can experience chest pain with activity that usually goes away with rest. When a blockage causes this predictable pattern of chest pain, it is called stable coronary artery disease (CAD). A cardiac catheterization may or may not be needed to manage stable CAD. Stress tests A stress test can be used to determine the likelihood of having a coronary artery blockage. The main goal of the test is to see how your heart works during physical activity. Because exercise makes your heart pump harder and faster, an exercise stress test can reveal problems with blood flow within the coronary arteries. Certain types of stres...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Heart Health Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs