Arrhythmia

• Also known as an abnormal heartbeat, an arrhythmia is an interruption of the heart's steady rhythm. If a person has coronary artery disease, this can cause scarring in the heart muscle, which is a cause of arrhythmia. If the heart consistently beats too fast or too slowly, this can result in further damage to the heart muscle, which ultimately affects the heart's ability to beat at all.
  
  

Heart Attack

• Plaque buildup in the coronary arteries can lead to blockage, which can cause the heart muscle to not receive oxygen-rich blood. If the heart muscle begins to die, chest pain, dizziness, sweating and other physical symptoms can occur--all signs of a heart attack.
  
  

Ischemia

• Not all damage to the heart muscle causes a heart attack. Ischemia is a condition that deprives the heart of oxygen but not enough to cause the heart to immediately keep working. Ischemia can slowly develop, ultimately causing heart failure due to lack of oxygen to the heart.
  
  

Heart Valve Complications

• Coronary artery disease may affect certain valves, such as the mitral valve. Due to increased plaque and decreased area in the valves for blood to flow, the blood may begin to slightly leak from the mitral valve. For example, if you were trying to fill a glass with a hole in it, you would have to pour the water fast enough to fill it up, yet the glass would always leak. Consider a heart valve the same way: the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the heart. As a result, the mitral valve may require surgical repair to keep the valve functioning properly.
  
  

Angina

• Also known as chest pain, angina occurs when coronary artery disease restricts blood flow to the coronary arteries, causing them to constrict. This results in shortness of breath as well as chest pain. If the condition occurs with activity, such as exercise or even everyday activities like getting up and down, this condition is known as stable angina.