Ischaemic heart disease

Ischaemic heart disease is a disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart. It is the most common cause of death in most western countries.

What is it?

• Initially there is sudden severe narrowing or closure of either the large coronary arteries and/or of coronary artery end branches by debris showering downstream in the flowing blood. It is usually felt as angina, especially if a large area is affected.
• The narrowing or closure is predominantly caused by the covering of atheromatous plaques within the wall of the artery rupturing, in turn leading to a heart attack (Heart attacks caused by just artery narrowing are rare).
• A heart attack causes damage to heart muscle by cutting off its blood supply.

This can cause:

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• Temporary damage and pain (ischemia)
• Most death is due to arrhythmias, usually tachyarrhythmias
• Loss of muscle activity (acute heart failure)
• Permanent heart muscle damage, heart muscle does not grow back (acute myocardial infarction /infarct)
• Long term loss of heart muscle activity (chronic heart failure)
• Cardiac arrhythmias: irregular heartbeat which can be fatal.
• Other structural damage to the heart including damaged heart valves, actual perforation of the heart and a thin walled fibrous floppy heart.