Coronary Artery Disease: Causes, Risks, and Medications That Help

When your coronary artery disease, a condition where plaque builds up in the arteries that feed your heart muscle. Also known as coronary heart disease, it’s the number one reason people have heart attacks. It’s not just about aging — it’s about what you eat, how you move, and what medications you’re on. This isn’t a mystery. It’s a slow leak in your heart’s fuel line, and the signs are often quiet until it’s too late.

Plaque builds up because of too much cholesterol, a waxy substance that sticks to artery walls when levels get too high. High blood pressure, the force of blood pushing against artery walls makes it worse. These two things work together like rust and moisture — one doesn’t cause the other, but they make damage faster. You might not feel it, but inside your chest, your arteries are getting narrower. That’s why people on coronary artery disease meds like beta blockers or statins don’t just take them to feel better — they take them to stay alive.

Medications don’t fix the problem alone. They buy you time. Carvedilol helps your heart pump without overworking. Gemfibrozil lowers triglycerides that clog arteries. Lopressor and Capoten manage blood pressure so your heart doesn’t have to fight so hard. But none of these work if you keep eating fried food, smoking, or ignoring your weight. The posts below cover real-life cases: how people managed weight gain from heart meds, how alcohol affects lipid drugs, and why some supplements help — or hurt.

You’ll find guides on what to avoid, what to ask your doctor, and how to tell if your meds are working. There’s no magic pill, but there are smart choices. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, managing symptoms, or helping someone else, the information here isn’t theory — it’s what people actually use to keep their hearts beating.