Biology · Body Fluids and Circulation · NEET
For NEET and NCERT, yes. NCERT says Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is often referred to as atherosclerosis. So in your exam, if the option says atherosclerosis, it is pointing to CAD. Both words describe the narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart muscle.
NCERT names four things: calcium, fat, cholesterol and fibrous tissues. These build up on the inner wall of the coronary arteries. A common NEET trap is to add or remove one item, so memorise all four exactly as NCERT lists them.
The deposits make the lumen (the open channel inside the artery) narrower. A narrower lumen means less blood can pass, so the heart muscle gets less oxygen. This is why CAD can later lead to chest pain (angina).
The coronary arteries. These are the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle itself. NCERT specifically says CAD affects the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle, so do not confuse it with vessels going to the brain or limbs.
No. CAD (atherosclerosis) is the narrowing of the coronary arteries. Angina (angina pectoris) is the chest pain that appears when the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen. Heart failure is when the heart cannot pump blood well enough for the body. They are separate terms NEET likes to mix up.
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
It is the narrowing of the coronary arteries (which supply the heart muscle) due to deposits of calcium, fat, cholesterol and fibrous tissue; it is also called atherosclerosis.
Because the narrowed lumen reduces blood flow to the heart muscle, the heart gets less oxygen. This can cause angina (chest pain) and, if severe, damage the heart.
It is in the chapter Body Fluids and Circulation, under the section 'Disorders of Circulatory System', along with hypertension, angina and heart failure.
CAD (atherosclerosis) specifically affects the coronary arteries of the heart. High blood pressure, which can contribute to heart disease, also affects the brain and kidney, but CAD itself is about the heart's own supply vessels.
