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Atherosclerotic Heart Disease

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One of the patient’s secondary diagnoses is atherosclerotic heart disease of native coronary artery without angina pectoris. He had a heart valve replacement in 2011. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque made of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances builds up inside the arteries. This is an issue because the plaque hardens over time and narrows the arteries, which then limits the flow of oxygenated blood to vital tissues. This condition can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and death. Coronary artery atherosclerosis is the single largest killer of both men and women in the United States (Boudi, 2016). The patient’s atherosclerosis is located in the coronary artery. This artery is one of two main blood vessels that branch off

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