Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called ischemic heart disease, occurs due to the narrowing of coronary arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. A waxy substance called plaque builds up inside these arteries, leading to atherosclerosis. Plaque builds up within the coronary artery walls until the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is limited. This condition is also called ischemia, which may be chronic or acute. In chronic ischemia, the coronary artery narrows over time, limiting the blood flow to part of the heart muscle, while acute ischemia occurs due to a sudden rupture of plaque and formation of a blood clot. These blood clots can completely or mostly block the flow of blood through the artery, leading to acute myocardial ischemia, which further results in acute coronary syndromes. These include unstable angina, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI). If the oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart is blocked or reduced, heart attack or angina can occur. 

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