EN

CHI BM ID

Request an Appointment

International Patient

General line

Ambulance / Emergency

Request an Appointment

International Patient

Emergency Contact

Hospitals

Gleneagles Hospitals Malaysia Gleneagles Hospital Kota Kinabalu Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur Gleneagles Hospital Johor Gleneagles Hospital Penang

Specialties & Packages

Medical Specialties & Procedures Health Screening Centre Packages & Promotions

Our Services

Find a Doctor Facilities & Services Accident & Emergency MyHealth360 eHealth

Events

Events News Corporate Social Responsibility Symposium

Health Hub

Health Digest Medical A-Z Dr Little Club Golden Years Programme Articles

Patients & Visitors

International Patient Plan Your Visit Billing & Finance Safety Measure

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Health Hub

Articles

An overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

An overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Prepared by Dr Ang Chin Yong

Consultant Interventional Cardiologist

Gleneagles Medini Hospital

What is coronary artery disease?

The coronary arteries run along the outside of the heart and supply blood to the heart muscle to allow it to function as a pump. Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when there are fatty plaques within the arterial wall, resulting in narrowing and reduced blood flow. It is a chronic ailment that develops over years. Hence, early diagnosis is crucial to stop its progression, and avoid heart attack and heart failure.

What are the risk factors for coronary artery disease?

Risk factors for CAD often include:

Smoking
High cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides)
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Physical inactivity
Obesity
High saturated fat diet

Controlling risk factors is the key to preventing illness and death from CAD.

What are the symptoms of coronary artery disease?

The symptoms of coronary heart disease will depend on the severity of the disease. Some people with mild CAD have no symptoms. Symptoms are present when narrowing is severe, which may include: chest heaviness, tightness or pain (which may radiate to the arms, jaw, neck, and/or back), shortness of breath, weakness and fatigue.

How is coronary artery disease diagnosed?

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for coronary artery disease may include any, or a combination of the following:

Stress test (exercise ECG). An ECG test that is given while a patient walks on a treadmill to monitor the heart during exercise to help detecting CAD.

Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to assess various cardiac structures and heart function.
A CT coronary angiogram relies on a powerful X-ray machine to produce images of your heart and its blood vessels. This test is non-invasive and don't require recovery time. It only involves an intravenous injection of a contrast dye in the vein.

Cardiac CT (CT coronary angiogram)
Cardiac MRO
Cardiac MRI scan to assess heart structures, heart muscle condition and function. When performed with stress protocol induced by medication, it can be used to help detecting CAD.
Cardiac catheterization is the gold standard test for CAD. With this procedure, X-ray videos are taken after contrast agent is injected into an artery to locate the narrowing, occlusions, and other abnormalities of specific arteries.

Treatment of CAD may include:
Modification of risk factors including smoking cessation, treatment of elevated cholesterol levels, hypertension and elevated blood glucose levels, regular aerobic exercise, healthy dietary habits and weight reduction for overweight patients.
Medications include: Antiplatelet medications (blood thinner), drug(s) for cholesterol and/or blood pressure reduction, and antianginal medicine to reduce chest pain.
Coronary angioplasty (ballooning and stenting). With this procedure, a balloon is used to create a bigger opening in the vessel to increase blood flow.

Coronary angiogram showed severe blockage (A) and restoration of blood flow after angioplasty (B)

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. It is an open heart surgery to create new blood supply by grafting a piece of artery or vein above and below the blocked area of a coronary artery, enabling blood to flow around the obstruction. Vessel are usually taken from the leg veins, as well as arteries from the chest or arm.

Social Share

Dr Ang Chin Yong

Dr Ang Chin Yong

Cardiology

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Make an Appointment or Enquiry

This Might Interest You

Vital Check-ups for High-Risk Lung Cancer Patients

Do you think that persistent coughing, a raspy voice, and wheezing are just signs of a cold? If you start coughing up blood, experiencing chest pain, or rapidly losing weight, you might already be in the late stages of lung cancer. This isn’t to scare you, but to highlight that early-stage lung cancer often has no symptoms. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer may have already spread, making early detection crucial.

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Beating heart surgery

That’s right, the heart was still beating during the bypass surgery. (Conventional bypass would neccesitate the cessation of heart function during surgery).

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Chorea In Women Aged 40 And Above

Chorea is a symptom and not a specific disease, in the same way a fever can happen for many different reasons. In most forms of chorea, there is an excess of dopamine, the main neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia, leading to abnormal excessive movements.

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Tackling Spine Strain at Work: Effective Solutions and Tips

In the hustle of modern work life, spine health often takes a backseat as we silently endure the demands of office jobs. Dr. Mohd Zaim Mohd Rashid, a consultant in Orthopaedic & Spinal Surgery at Gleneagles Hospital Johor, highlights the common spine health issues faced by Malaysian office workers and provides insights into preventive measures for maintaining spine health.

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Why Does My Hand Hurt?

Pain in the hand, fingers or wrist used to be a relatively uncommon condition. Instead, workers who use their hands extensively to do manual work and heavy lifting are more likely to complain of aching shoulder muscles, a sore back and tired feet at the end of a day’s work!

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Understanding Cancer: 10 Key Insights from Dr. Teo Yin Keong

Cancer is a complex disease affecting millions globally.

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

View More

About Us Careers Contact Us Sitemap

Download the MyHealth360 app to access an array of medical services conveniently.

Gleneagles Hospital is part of IHH Healthcare, one of the world’s largest healthcare groups.

Hospitals

Gleneagles Hospitals Malaysia Gleneagles Hospital Kota Kinabalu Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur Gleneagles Hospital Johor Gleneagles Hospital Penang

Specialties & Packages

Medical Specialties & Procedures Health Screening Centre Packages & Promotions

Our Services

Find a Doctor Facilities & Services Accident & Emergency MyHealth360 eHealth

Events

Events News Corporate Social Responsibility Symposium

Health Hub

Health Digest Medical A-Z Dr Little Club Golden Years Programme Articles

Patients & Visitors

International Patient Plan Your Visit Billing & Finance Safety Measure

Follow Us On

Pantai Medical Centre Sdn Bhd (Registration No.: 198101006941 (73056-D)).
All Rights Reserved. Photos are for illustration purposes only
KKLIU 3392 / EXP 31.12.2025

Disclaimer Personal Data Protection Terms & Conditions Sustainability

Select a Hospital

Please select your preferred service:

Select the checkbox to proceed with your request

Kindly note this is not a confirmed appointment.
Our Gleneagles Customer Service team will process your request after you submit it. Please check your inbox for updates following submission.

Please indicate your selection above

Verify Your Details

Please check and confirm your details below before submitting:

Patient's Details

NRIC / Passport No

Salutation

Patient's Name

Email

Date of Birth

Eg: +60*

Contact Number

Medical Concern/Request

Submit

Back

Select a Hospital

hospital-icon

Emergency Contacts

Gleneagles Hospital Johor

Ambulance / Emergency
+607 560 1111

Loading...

Wait a minute