Summary
A coronary occlusion, or coronary artery disease, is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition may cause a heart attack.[1] It is the most common form of cardiovascular disease, and is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting 18 million adults.[2]
| Coronary occlusion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Normal and partially blocked/occluded blood vessel | |
| Specialty | Cardiology  |
| Symptoms | Chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, nausea, and drowsiness |
| Treatment | Medication, percutaneous coronary intervention, or coronary artery bypass surgery |
Description edit
A coronary occlusion can be caused by smoking, having other heart or blood conditions, or being physically inactive. It is also hereditary.[2] Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, pain in upper body, fatigue, nausea, an irregular heartbeat, and drowsiness.[3]
To diagnose a coronary occlusion, a doctor may view a patient's medical history, or perform a coronary angiography; a doctor will stick a catheter into the wrist or groin, lead it to the heart, and inject a liquid for X-ray imaging.[2]
To treat a coronary occlusion, medication may be used to relieve symptoms. Percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass surgery may also be used.[2]
In history edit
According to Robert K. Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra: The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty, Tsar Nicholas II may have suffered a coronary occlusion right before he was toppled from his throne during the Russian Revolution in 1917.[4]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Chronic Total Occlusion: Symptoms and Treatment". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ a b c d "Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO)". Yale Medicine. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ "Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) | University of Michigan Health". www.uofmhealth.org. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ Massie, Robert K. (2012), Nicholas and Alexandra: The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty. New York, The Modern Library, p. 433. ISBN 0679645616. Accessed 2016-11-19. Originally published in 1967 by Artheneum (United States) as Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia. ISBN 978-0-679-64561-0.