Which statement is true about coronary artery disease?

• A. It is narrowing of the arteries caused by cholesterol, increasing risk for myocardial infarction
• B. It is inflammation of arteries due to infection
• C. It is a disorder of blood clotting with no arterial involvement
• D. It is a congenital malformation of coronary arteries

Answer: (A)

Coronary artery disease is driven by atherosclerosis in the coronary vessels. Lipid-rich plaques form in the inner lining of the arteries, causing inflammation and buildup that narrow the artery lumen. This reduced blood flow impairs oxygen delivery to the heart muscle, especially during activity, leading to chest pain (angina) and, if a plaque ruptures, can trigger a blood clot that can block the artery completely, resulting in a myocardial infarction. Therefore, the statement that matches CAD is that it involves narrowing of the arteries caused by cholesterol, increasing the risk for myocardial infarction.

The other ideas don’t fit the typical mechanism: inflammation of arteries due to infection describes infectious or inflammatory vasculitis rather than atherosclerotic CAD; a clotting disorder with no arterial involvement misses the arterial narrowing and plaque buildup central to CAD; a congenital malformation describes a structural abnormality present from birth, not the acquired atherosclerotic process that usually develops over time.