Definitions and Basic Mechanism of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) also known as coronary heart disease (CHD) is described as the pathologic process affecting the coronary arteries, while atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD or CVD for short) is referred to as the pathological process affecting the entire arterial circulation, not just the coronary arteries. This chapter defines CAD and CHD along with their atherosclerotic pathogenic pathway and all the factors associated with it. The progression of atherosclerosis and its clinical findings are explained at various stages together with a description of the time course of inflammation and atherosclerotic calcification.