Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. It occurs when the coronary arteries are narrowed or occluded by atherosclerotic deposits of fibrous or fatty tissue. The pathogenesis of CAD involves several steps, but begins with the deposition of LDL cholesterol in the intima of the coronary arteries. Macrophages enter the intima and phagocytose the LDL, becoming foam cells because of their foamy appearance. Cytokines and growth factors recruit smooth muscle cells that produce collagen in the intima. This causes the formation of a plaque in the tunica intima that bulges into the lumen of the vessel.