What is coronary heart disease?

Coronary arteries supply the blood to and from your heart.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the term that describes what happens when these arteries become narrowed or blocked by a build up of fatty material on the walls of the arteries.

This fatty material is called atheroma. It can build up over time - a process called atherosclerosis - and can lead to your heart’s blood supply being blocked or interrupted.

You may have heard this called ‘hardening of the arteries’.

This build up can be caused by lifestyle factors and other conditions such as:

• smoking
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• diabetes

The main symptoms of CHD are:

• chest pain (angina)
• heart attacks
• heart failure

You may also experience other symptoms such as heart palpitations and unusual breathlessness.

You can find more information about coronary heart disease on the NHS website.