Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Syncope

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease can cause an affected individual to experience cardiovascular syncope. The coronary arteries are the arteries that run through the muscle tissues of the heart and supply the cells that make up the heart with oxygen and nutrients. The coronary arteries are some of the most important arteries in the body because the heart cannot beat without them. Coronary artery disease occurs when inflammation and cholesterol-containing plaques accumulate inside of them and cause damage. It often goes unnoticed until the advanced stages because it is a disease that takes decades to develop. Syncope can easily occur in advanced stage coronary artery disease patients because a blockage can stop enough blood from reaching the muscle cells of the heart. After a few minutes of no oxygen and nutrients, the cells become damaged and cause tissues in the heart to die. This malfunction can cause one or more of the hearts chambers to stop pumping or slow down enough to where blood cannot reach the brain. When the brain is starved of oxygen, the patient can experience cardiovascular syncope.