Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. 13 million people are affected by this disease. CHD is also called Hardening of the Arteries, CAD. Coronary heart disease is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries that connect to the heart. The buildup is caused by fatty materials and other plaque-forming substances. Plaque builds up on the wall of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries are responsible for blood flow and oxygen to the heart. The buildup of fatty materials causes the arteries to narrow, resulting in slowing or even stopping the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. The heart and arteries are the main organs affected by coronary heart disease. Blood flow that doesn't circulate enough throughout the body also damages heart tissue. The reduction in blood flow causes the heart to work harder so that the rest of the body can receive blood. The kidneys are damaged by coronary heart disease because the kidneys do not receive enough blood. Just like the kidneys, the rest of the body's organs are also damaged due to the little blood flow they receive. Signs and symptoms are associated with any disease, some symptoms may be obvious but sometimes there are none at all. The common symptom of coronary heart disease is chest pain and/or discomfort. This happens when the heart does not receive oxygen and blood. The intensity of chest pain varies from patient to patient. My chest hurts, I feel like my heart is being squeezed. The pain can be felt under the breastbone but also in the neck, arms, stomach and upper back. Chest pain usually occurs when the patient is active or moving, but goes away with rest or with a medicine called nitroglycerin. Other symptoms include a small paper stent, a small metal tube that expands inside a coronary artery. The stent is placed during or after angioplasty. This procedure prevents the artery from closing again. One surgery that treats coronary artery disease is coronary artery bypass surgery. This surgery creates new pathways for blood to flow to the heart. In this surgery, the surgeon takes a vein from the leg or an artery from the chest or wrist. The surgeon then connects it to the coronary artery. The other surgery that treats coronary heart disease is called minimally invasive heart surgery. In this surgery the arterial bypass is performed without stopping the heart. They put the patient on a heart-lung machine. Each chronic disease has its own treatments and surgeries. Works CitedHttp://www.nih.gov/Http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplusHttp://www. mayoclinic.comHttp://www.webmd.comHttp://www.kidshealth.org