NHS: Coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death both in the UK and worldwide.
It's responsible for around 74,000 deaths in the UK each year. About 1 in 5 men and 1 in 8 women die from CHD.
In the UK, there are an estimated 2.7m people living with the condition and 2m people affected by angina (the most common symptom of coronary heart disease).
NHS: Cardiac catheterisation and coronary angiography
Cardiac catheterisation is an invasive diagnostic procedure that provides important information about the structure and function of the heart.
It usually involves taking X-ray pictures of the heart's arteries (coronary arteries) using a technique called coronary angiography or arteriography. The resulting images are known as coronary angiograms or arteriograms.
NHS: Coronary angioplasty and stent insertion
A coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries.
The term angioplasty means using a balloon to stretch open a narrowed or blocked artery. However, most modern angioplasty procedures also involve inserting a short wire-mesh tube, called a stent, into the artery during the procedure. The stent is left in place permanently to allow blood to flow more freely.
