Coronary artery disease case study: 47-year-old male construction worker

Diagnosis of Coronary Heart Disease

Eric is a 47-year-old who has just been diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). He works in the construction industry and spends most of his time away from his family i.e. wife and three children. In addition, he smokes around 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes on a daily basis and like drinking after work. Coronary Artery Disease which Eric suffers from is described as a contraction in the small blood vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the heart and is also commonly known as Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or heart attack. The disease is the most common cause of deaths in the United States since approximately 1 million people are likely to have a heart attack while 25% of them die before arriving at the hospital.

Generally, the heart is like any other muscle in the body that needs nutrient-rich blood and oxygen in order to function. Coronary heart disease that supply blood to the heart muscle are usually spread throughout the heart surface starting from the base of the aorta and branching out to every area of the heart muscle. These arteries are at risk for contraction as cholesterol deposits that are known as plaques develop inside the artery. If the artery narrows enough, the supply of blood to the heart muscle may be slowed down, which causes pain or angina. Coronary heart disease or a heart attack is likely to occur when a plaque ruptures making a blood clot to develop. As a result, the artery is completely obstructed, which not only stops blood from flowing to part of the muscle but also results in the death of portion of the muscle (Kulick, 2011).

Coronary heart disease has several risk factors that people need to be aware of as part of prevention measures against the disease. The most common risk factors for the disease include diabetes, family history, obesity, high blood pressure or hypertension, peripheral artery disease, high cholesterol, and smoking. In Eric's case, it seems like his smoking habit could be the main cause of the disease since he smokes approximately 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes on a daily basis.

Coronary artery disease has certain symptoms with the typical signs being chest pain that is characterized with shortness of breath. The pain of angina associated with the disease is defined as a pressure or heaviness behind the breast bone with radiation to the lower part of the arm and jaw accompanied by shortness of breath and sweating. The other locations of pain as symptoms of heart disease include shoulder and back ache, nausea, upper abdominal pain, and indigestion.

The diagnosis for this heart disease that could be used on Eric's case starts with acquiring a history regarding the potential for the existence of coronary heart disease. This is followed by an assessment of risk factors and carrying out risk stratification. Once the two processes have been conducted, they should be followed with testing, which is done based on the probability that the symptoms of the patient really represent angina and are emanating from the heart. Notably, not every patient with coronary artery disease requires heart catheterization, which is the most invasive test. Consequently, the health care professional will attempt to choose the modality for testing that will effectively provide the diagnosis if the disease is present.