Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in the U.S. It is plaque build up in the arteries that can lead to heart attack or heart failure, but it doesn’t have to take over your life. NBC 5 health reporter Bianca Castro reports you can manage it, as a North Texas survivor shares in his story.
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It affects the main blood vessels that supply blood to the heart, called the coronary arteries.
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WATCH HEREA buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls makes the arteries narrow and can restrict blood flow.
A complete blockage of blood flow can cause a heart attack.
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SIGN UP However, a North Texas medical worker shares his story as proof that living with CAD is possible.
50-year-old Bobby Watkins, a nursing student and medical assistant, lives with chronic kidney disease and has endured 32 surgeries, including a kidney transplant and a leg amputation.
However, he said, nothing was more scary than being told that he had coronary artery disease and would need a triple bypass last fall.
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"I knew that this was not a transplant. It wasn't a leg amputation. This is my heart, and it scared the heck out of me," said Watkins.
Texas Health Dallas interventional cardiologist Dr. Tulio Diaz says the main risk factors for coronary heart disease are high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercise and genetic factors.
"If you have high cholesterol, we emphasize the need to take the appropriate steps on your lifestyle exercise. The American Heart Association recommendation is 150 minutes a week of exercise, dietary changes, decrease saturated fats. Once we implement all those risk factor modifications, then we escalate to be more proactive as far as medications goes. We have many, many medications to prevent coronary artery disease, but the main steps are take good care of your diabetes, avoid tobacco, increase your physical activity. That's the best way to prevent it," said Dr. Diaz.
Those are the best ways, he adds, to manage it and in most cases, you cannot reverse the disease.
"Implementing these changes in your lifestyles are extremely important," said Dr. Diaz.
After his recovery from surgery, Watkins now works out regularly, eats healthy and takes a single blood pressure medication to manage his coronary artery disease.
He’s also close to finishing nursing school.
"I just maintain a healthy, balanced life. You have to because you have no choice. You need to. You only get one heart," said Watkins.
Symptoms of severe coronary artery are angina or chest pain that spreads across the chest, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, fatigue, and faster heartbeat.
