What happens during coronary artery disease?

Blockage: Plaque builds up in the wall of the artery and can cause the artery to get gradually more narrow. If the plaque ruptures the artery can suddenly get completely blocked. The artery blockage can cause chest pain on exertion or even a heart attack resulting in permanent damage to the heart muscle.

AtherosclerosisClots: The key issue is atherosclerosis: accumulation of white blood cells in the walls of arteries, typically starts in childhood & is primarily driven by lipoproteins (proteins which transport fat in the water outside cells) is dominant human behavior yet is typically ignored for decades because it remains asymptomatic until plaque ruptures release debris, triggers clots & suddenly blocks blood flow.