Coronary heart disease has no symptoms.

Written by Liu Ying
Cardiology
Updated on March 16, 2025
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Coronary heart disease refers to the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, leading to ischemia, hypoxia, or even necrosis of myocardial cells, which is a type of heart disease. Its full name should be coronary artery atherosclerotic heart disease, commonly known as coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease can be divided into five types: The first type is occult or asymptomatic coronary heart disease. The second type is angina pectoris, the third type is myocardial infarction, the fourth type is ischemic cardiomyopathy, and the fifth type is sudden death. Among these, patients with occult or asymptomatic coronary heart disease may not have obvious symptoms or any symptoms at all, so a person without symptoms does not necessarily mean they do not have coronary heart disease. Whether a patient has coronary heart disease should still be determined by a specialist based on relevant examinations.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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How is coronary heart disease treated?

Coronary heart disease generally refers to a condition caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, leading to severe narrowing or complete blockage of the coronary arteries. The treatment of coronary heart disease mainly includes the following aspects: First, non-pharmacological treatment. For example, maintaining good lifestyle habits, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, controlling weight, and continuing exercise when the condition is stable. Second, pharmacological treatment. For instance, under the guidance of a doctor, standardized use of aspirin, statins, clopidogrel, and nitrate vasodilators. Third, surgical treatment. Treatment options for coronary heart disease include interventional cardiology as well as surgical coronary artery bypass grafting. (Note: The use of medications should be under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Liu Yong
Cardiology
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Can the symptoms of coronary heart disease be cured?

Firstly, coronary heart disease is caused by coronary artery and arteriosclerotic narrowing of the coronary artery lumen, leading to insufficient myocardial blood supply. From this perspective, coronary heart disease cannot be completely cured, but the symptoms can be alleviated. If the symptoms are alleviated, then the disease can still be fully controlled effectively. Therefore, coronary heart disease is preventable and treatable, but to completely eradicate it, it is necessary to improve the lifestyle, adhere to medication, have regular check-ups, and maintain good follow-up. These aspects can improve the prognosis of the patient to achieve the purpose of no recurrence.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
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How is coronary heart disease diagnosed?

The routine non-invasive examination for coronary heart disease primarily includes an essential electrocardiogram, as well as echocardiography. Blood tests generally look at cardiac enzymes and the status of troponin to check for any heart muscle damage. In terms of invasive methods, we can perform coronary angiography, which allows us to directly observe the condition of the coronary arteries. The condition of coronary arteries can also now be examined through a non-invasive CT angiography (CTA), which can also reveal any narrowing of the coronary arteries and assess the severity of such narrowing.

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Written by Liu Yong
Cardiology
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Is chest pain always coronary heart disease?

Firstly, the most common symptoms when coronary heart disease occurs include chest pain, especially in cases of severe myocardial infarction, which manifests as intense precordial pain. However, chest pain is not always indicative of coronary heart disease. For example, the development of chest pain centers currently underway in our country is intended to differentiate the nature of these chest pains. Therefore, the significance of establishing these chest pain centers lies in the fact that there are various causes of chest pain, many of which pose serious threats to life. For instance, common conditions such as aortic dissection may also present with chest pain. Similarly, pulmonary embolism, particularly acute pulmonary embolism, can cause symptoms like chest oppression and chest pain, which are not related to coronary heart disease. The establishment of chest pain centers is to distinguish these cases, hence it's important to note that not all chest pains are indicative of coronary heart disease.

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Written by Gong Hao
Cardiology
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What are the symptoms of coronary heart disease?

The most typical manifestation of coronary heart disease is angina pectoris, but it can also present as chest tightness, chest pain, paroxysmal tachycardia, fatigue, decreased endurance, a feeling of throat constriction, numbness in the upper limbs, and even symptoms related to the digestive tract such as upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Many patients with coronary heart disease do not show obvious symptoms, and the onset might present as myocardial infarction or sudden death, which is very frightening. Therefore, if symptoms of coronary heart disease are noticed, it is crucial to seek medical treatment at a hospital as soon as possible. Middle-aged and elderly people should have regular physical examinations. Young people who stay up late, smoke, or are addicted to video games, among other bad habits, can also develop coronary heart disease, so it is important to be mindful of these behaviors.