CAD full form in medical is Coronary Artery Disease. Basically, it’s all about the blood vessels (called coronary arteries) that supply your heart with oxygen and nutrients, keeping it pumping and healthy. Now, CAD doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s a slow and sneaky process where these arteries get narrower or blocked because of some nasty fatty deposits called plaque. What causes this plaque buildup? Well, it’s often a mix of factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even smoking. The more plaque piles up, the less flexible the arteries become, and blood flow gets all choked up, making it tough for your heart to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs.
When your heart’s struggling to get enough blood, you might feel some chest pain, also known as angina. It can feel like pressure, tightness, or even a squeezing feeling in your chest. If blood flow gets completely cut off, watch out, because that can lead to a heart attack. There are a bunch of risk factors that up your odds of developing CAD, like age, gender, family history, obesity, and diabetes. But don’t forget, lifestyle choices play a big part too such as poor diet, not enough exercise, and smoking.