Coronary arteries are blood vessels that bring oxygenated blood throughout the body. The heart and other tissues and organs need this continuous supply of blood to function properly. The most common disease affecting the coronary arteries is perhaps atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, which is typically addressed via an angioplasty treatment.
Blocked arteries occur when cholesterol, plaque and other fatty substances accumulate inside the coronary arteries, blocking the flow of blood to and from the heart.
Left unaddressed, a clogged artery can lead to myocardial ischaemia, which is characterized by a painful or tight feeling in the chest called an angina. It may also result in an acute ischaemia, in which a blood clot becomes dislodged and fully blocks the artery, leading to acute coronary syndrome.
As with all illnesses, early diagnosis can help reduce risks and damage done to the heart. For clogged arteries, the recommended treatment is an angioplasty.
There are various ways of testing for clogged arteries, including:
Depending on the severity of your condition and medical history, your heart specialist may prescribe one or a combination of the below treatments:
MB BCh (Ireland), MRCP (United Kingdom)FAMS (Cardiology), DIP (CBNC, USA)FSCAI (SCAI, USA), FACC (ACC, USA) FESC (European Society of Cardiology, France) FRCP (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
Dr Eric Hong is a dedicated cardiologist with over 20 years of experience caring for heart patients.
He is one of few cardiologists in Singapore who subspecialises in interventional cardiology, nuclear cardiology, and multi-modal cardiac imaging. Dr Hong garnered diverse experiences working in Ireland and the United States, and is double fellowship-trained in the USA.