The word ‘coronary’ means crown, and is the name given
to the arteries that circle the heart like a crown. The coronary arteries
supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients.
Deposits of cholesterol and other fat-like substances
can build up under the inner lining of these blood vessels and become coated
with a fibrous cap, forming a bump in the blood vessel wall known as plaque.
Plaque build-up narrows and hardens the blood vessel, a
process called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
Eventually these plaque deposits can build up to
significantly reduce or block blood flow to the heart.
Although we typically think of atherosclerosis as a disease
of old age, the process begins as early as childhood, making prevention of
coronary heart disease a priority for everyone.