When plaque, or fatty material, accumulates in the arteries that supply your heart, it can cause a blockage. A buildup of plaque in your arteries reduces the volume of blood your heart can pump. A heart attack may result from total blockage of the heart's blood supply.
Your heart receives oxygen-rich blood from your coronary arteries, which can narrow or become blocked, resulting in coronary artery disease (CAD). This occurs because the amount of blood that can reach your heart muscle is reduced over time due to plaque (including cholesterol) buildup in these arteries.
It's possible that you won't have any coronary artery disease symptoms for a while. It may take years or even decades for plaque builds up to become life-threatening. But you might experience mild symptoms as your arteries narrow, indicating that your heart is working harder to pump blood that is high in oxygen to your body.
It's possible that a partial coronary artery blockage won't show any symptoms. However, as the obstruction gets worse, symptoms like breathing difficulties, light-headedness, and tightness in the chest may appear. If such symptoms appear, then such conditions may become a medical emergency.
It's not safe to self-diagnose a serious condition like a heart blockage, even though there are ways to keep an eye on your cardiac health at home. Any time your heart's blood flow is compromised, you should seek medical attention.
Your doctor will collaborate with you to develop a treatment plan aimed at reducing your risk of a heart attack if they find that you have plaque accumulation inside your arteries.
Let’s learn about certain heart blockage tests that can help us in analyzing such disorders at the treatable stage, thereby saving lives.
What is Heart Blockage?
When plaque, a sticky material, builds up in the arteries supplying blood to the heart, it can cause a blockage. The components of plaque include calcium, cellular waste products, fat, cholesterol, and fibrin, a substance that clots. Atherosclerosis is the medical term for the narrowing of the arteries caused by plaque accumulation in the blood vessels. This may worsen the difficulty of blood flow via your body's arteries. Atherosclerosis causing blockage of blood vessels supplying oxygen to the heart is called coronary artery disease. A substantial accumulation of plaque in these arteries may result in a total blockage, which could trigger a heart attack. Furthermore, a fragment of plaque that separates from an artery wall may result in a heart blockage. A blood clot in a coronary artery may result from this, which may also cause a heart attack. In such circumstances, if blood flow is not promptly restored, then heart muscle will start getting damaged.Complications of atherosclerosis can include:
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Attack
- Unusual Heart Rhythm
- Stroke
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Vascular Dementia
- Peripheral Artery Disease
- Chronic Kidney Disease
Signs of Heart Blockage
- Unusual tiredness
- Chest discomfort (angina)
- Difficulty breathing, especially upon exertion
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Pain radiating to jaws and left shoulder
- Grade 1: Chest pain. Not during regular activities, but rather in reaction to abrupt increases in physical activity or emotional distress.
- Grade 2: Chest pain that flares up when you walk quickly, climb stairs, walk uphill, or when you're depressed or cold.
- Grade 3: Pain in the chest that happens when doing low-impact exercises like mild-walking.
- Grade 4: Chest pain that persists even during minimal activity or even while at rest.
List of Tests to Assess Heart Blockages
- Cholesterol test: A lipid panel, lipid profile, or cholesterol test determines the level of cholesterol or fat in the blood. The likelihood of suffering a heart attack or another heart condition can be determined by the results.
- High-sensitivity C-reactive protein: C-reactive protein (CRP) is produced by the liver as a part of the body's reaction to damage or infection. Inflammation, or internal swelling, is the result of the reaction. Atherosclerosis, or the accumulation of plaque in the arteries, is largely caused by inflammation. Tests for high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) can be used to predict the risk of heart disease even in the absence of symptoms. An increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease is associated with higher hs-CRP levels. A number of factors, like a cold or a long run, can temporarily raise CRP levels. Therefore, two weeks apart should be the time for both tests. An elevated level of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP/L) indicates an increased risk of heart disease.
- Lipoprotein A: Lipoprotein A, is a subtype of LDL cholesterol. Genes play a vital role in impacting the levels of Lp A. Elevations in Lp A could indicate an increased risk of heart disease. But the extent of the risk is undetermined. If you appear to have healthy cholesterol levels but have atherosclerosis or heart disease, your doctor may order a Lp A test. Alternatively, if there is a family history of stroke, sudden death, or early-onset heart disease, you may be required to take the test.
- Plasma ceramides: Ceramide levels in the blood are determined by this test. Every cell produces ceramides. They are crucial to the growth, function, and death of many different kinds of tissue. Atherosclerosis is associated with ceramides. Insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and artery plaque accumulation have been connected to three ceramides. Elevated blood levels of these ceramides indicate an increased risk of heart disease within the next one to five years.
- Natriuretic peptides: The heart and blood vessels produce a protein called brain natriuretic peptide. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is another name for it. BNP relaxes blood vessels, facilitates the body's fluid elimination, and transports sodium into the urine. In an attempt to reduce the strain on the heart, the body responds to heart damage by raising blood levels of BNP. BNP is a useful tool for determining whether dyspnea is a result of heart failure.
- Troponin T: The heart muscle contains a protein called troponin T. A troponin T test with high sensitivity aids in the diagnosis of a heart attack. The test indicates the heart disease risk as well. In individuals without symptoms, a higher level of troponin T has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Exercise stress test
- Echocardiogram (ultrasound)
- Nuclear cardiac stress test
- Coronary angiogram
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Coronary computed tomography angiogram (CCTA)
Conclusion
Plaque accumulation in the arteries supplying your heart with blood is what leads to a heart blockage. It's possible for a small or partial heart blockage to have no symptoms. However, a total blockage can result in life-threatening issues like a heart attack. It's critical to seek emergency medical attention if you exhibit heart blockage symptoms. Breathing difficulties, dizziness, shortness of breath, and chest pain are some of these symptoms. By measuring your heart rate, taking the stair test, and taking routine blood pressure readings, you can keep an eye on your heart health. Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you observe any changes. If you are looking forward to tests to assess heart blockages, then reach out to our experts at Asian Heart Hospital for the accurate assessment and guidance. Book your appointment now!FAQs
Q1: Which is the best test for heart blockage?A: Coronary angiogram is the most effective way to identify conditions affecting the arteries surrounding the heart, such as coronary artery disease.
Q2: What is the heart blockage screening test?
A: To get a general update on your heart health, we need to perform an echocardiogram, an ECG, and a certain blood test.
