Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFrequent SymptomsRare SymptomsComplicationsWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Coronary Artery Disease GuideHow Coronary Artery Disease Is Diagnosed
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Frequent Symptoms
Rare Symptoms
Complications
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Coronary Artery Disease Guide
Coronary artery disease (CAD) does not usually cause symptoms until it becomes advanced. Subtle symptoms can include dizziness, indigestion-like sensations, fatigue, and lack of energy. More noticeable symptoms of CAD include shortness of breath and chest pain. These are all warning signs of a heart attack and you should seek medical attention if you have any of the signs or symptoms of CAD.
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In general, symptoms of CAD are related to narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart, which can intermittently prevent the heart muscle from receiving optimal blood supply. It’s important to remember that, though symptoms are not common with CAD, they can occur.
The most common symptoms of CAD are:
Atypical symptoms of CAD are not as widely recognizable. People who experience these symptoms might not even mention them to the healthcare provider, even at a regularly scheduled check-up. This can lead to missed diagnoses, inadequate therapy, and worse outcomes.
Atypical symptoms of CAD include:
There are several serious complications of CAD. These can occur after years of untreated CAD when the arteries become so badly diseased that complete obstruction of blood flow through the coronary arteries occurs. This causes insufficient oxygen and nutrient delivery to the heart muscles, potentially causing the death of the heart muscle cells and subsequent dysfunction of a portion of the heart muscle itself.
If you experience intermittent symptoms of CAD, you should tell your healthcare provider. Many people avoid talking about symptoms or ignore them out of fear or denial. Withouttreatment, CAD will get worse and can suddenly cause a fatal heart attack, or can cause a heart attack that results in lifelong complications and a diminished quality of life.
If you experience angina or symptoms of what seems to be a heart attack, you need to get emergency medical attention.
When to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
If you have symptoms that could be CAD, such as fatigue, nausea, heartburn, chest pain, shortness of breath, or diminished physical endurance, you should call your healthcare provider to describe how you are feeling and follow the recommendations for an appointment or diagnostic testing.
When you see your healthcare provider, be sure to describe the timing, frequency, and duration of your symptoms. Include details such as what you were doing when they occurred and what made the symptoms go away. Our guide below can help you understand terminology your healthcare provider may use, as well as give you questions to better understand your condition.
Coronary Artery Disease Doctor Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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When to Get Emergency Medical Care
If your symptoms worsen or become more frequent, you should get medical attention promptly. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or unusual left-sided symptoms, with or without a trigger, call for emergency help. A heart attack can be fatal and prompt treatment leads to better outcomes.
Frequently Asked QuestionsAngina is typically the most common symptom. It’s usually felt in the chest but can also be in the left shoulder, neck, arms, back, upper abdomen, or jaw. Call for emergency help if you’re experiencing angina symptoms for more than five minutes.Women may have symptoms that are less likely to be identified as cardiac-related. The most common signs for women are angina, pain in the jaw or throat, pain in the upper abdomen or back, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
Angina is typically the most common symptom. It’s usually felt in the chest but can also be in the left shoulder, neck, arms, back, upper abdomen, or jaw. Call for emergency help if you’re experiencing angina symptoms for more than five minutes.
Women may have symptoms that are less likely to be identified as cardiac-related. The most common signs for women are angina, pain in the jaw or throat, pain in the upper abdomen or back, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
What Is Coronary Artery Disease?
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Ischemic Heart Disease.Signs and symptoms.U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Unstable angina.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease.Heart Attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).Cleveland Clinic.Coronary artery disease symptoms.Additional ReadingAmbrose J, Najafi A.Strategies for the prevention of coronary artery disease complications- Can we do better?Am J Med. 2018 May 2. pii: S0002-9343(18)30382-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.04.006.Duda-Pyszny D, Trzeciak P, Gąsior M.Coronary artery disease in women.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018 Mar;15(1):44-48. doi: 10.5114/kitp.2018.74675.Timmis A, Roobottom CA.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updates the stable chest pain guideline with radical changes to the diagnostic paradigm. Heart. 2017 Jul;103(13):982-986. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308341.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Ischemic Heart Disease.Signs and symptoms.U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Unstable angina.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease.Heart Attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).Cleveland Clinic.Coronary artery disease symptoms.Additional ReadingAmbrose J, Najafi A.Strategies for the prevention of coronary artery disease complications- Can we do better?Am J Med. 2018 May 2. pii: S0002-9343(18)30382-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.04.006.Duda-Pyszny D, Trzeciak P, Gąsior M.Coronary artery disease in women.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018 Mar;15(1):44-48. doi: 10.5114/kitp.2018.74675.Timmis A, Roobottom CA.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updates the stable chest pain guideline with radical changes to the diagnostic paradigm. Heart. 2017 Jul;103(13):982-986. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308341.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Ischemic Heart Disease.Signs and symptoms.U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Unstable angina.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease.Heart Attack.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).Cleveland Clinic.Coronary artery disease symptoms.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Ischemic Heart Disease.Signs and symptoms.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Unstable angina.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease.Heart Attack.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).
Cleveland Clinic.Coronary artery disease symptoms.
Ambrose J, Najafi A.Strategies for the prevention of coronary artery disease complications- Can we do better?Am J Med. 2018 May 2. pii: S0002-9343(18)30382-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.04.006.Duda-Pyszny D, Trzeciak P, Gąsior M.Coronary artery disease in women.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018 Mar;15(1):44-48. doi: 10.5114/kitp.2018.74675.Timmis A, Roobottom CA.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updates the stable chest pain guideline with radical changes to the diagnostic paradigm. Heart. 2017 Jul;103(13):982-986. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308341.
Ambrose J, Najafi A.Strategies for the prevention of coronary artery disease complications- Can we do better?Am J Med. 2018 May 2. pii: S0002-9343(18)30382-6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.04.006.
Duda-Pyszny D, Trzeciak P, Gąsior M.Coronary artery disease in women.Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2018 Mar;15(1):44-48. doi: 10.5114/kitp.2018.74675.
Timmis A, Roobottom CA.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updates the stable chest pain guideline with radical changes to the diagnostic paradigm. Heart. 2017 Jul;103(13):982-986. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308341.
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