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Coronary Artery Disease Case Study Essay

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I have chosen to do case study #1 about Coronary Artery Disease. In this case study, Eric is a 47-year-old male who has just been diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease. He is a construction worker and spends a great deal of time away from his wife and three children. Eric smokes approximately 1 1⁄2 packs of cigarettes a day and enjoys drinking a 6-pack after a long day at work. In Eric’s case, smoking clearly causes CAD and he smokes quite a bit. Also, high blood pressure can cause CAD and if he is stressed from all of his hard work, it could contribute to the disease as well (Beaumont, n.d.) Coronary artery disease is when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. Plaque buildup in the arteries is called atherosclerosis. The plaque makes the arteries smaller and makes it harder for the arteries to supply oxygen to the heart. This atherosclerosis can cause heart attacks and angina (chest pain). Coronary artery disease can also cause arrhythmias, or irregular heart rhythm (Loeffler & Hart, 2014). …show more content…

The heart arteries are so important because they send blood to the heart, which the heart needs to work properly. Some people have no symptoms and others will have a little chest pain, others will have severe angina. Signs of a person having Coronary Artery Disease are tight feelings and pressure in the chest, pain that goes down the arms, haw, shoulders and neck, shortness of breath, and being extremely tired. It can be diagnosed through procedures such as electrocardiograms, stress tests, cardiac catheterization and nuclear scanning, along with extensive medical history and examination (Beaumont,

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