Coronary heart disease is atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, i.e. a
"hardening" of the walls of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen
to the heart (coronary arteries).
This hardening is due to fatty deposits called plaques that build on the inner
walls of these arteries.
The resulting narrowed passageway decreases or stops the flow of oxygen-rich
blood to the heart, which damages the heart muscles and leads to chest pain,
shortness of breath, heart attack, and possibly to death.
Source: GreenFacts
More:
Coronary heart disease is the most common form of heart disease in the Western
world.
