Coronary artery disease refers to a narrowing or blockage of one or more coronary arteries due to arteriosclerosis. This is a process in which weakening or deterioration of the inside of the coronary artery wall leads to a buildup of plaque (just like the buildup of plaque on a tooth). However, this plaque has a lot of cholesterol or fat.
There are many contributing factors that cause the build-up of cholesterol in the artery walls to form the plaque. Some of these culprits are based on our genes or inheritance. Other factors include high-fat diets, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, stress, and possible unnoticed infection that may get into the vessel wall and weaken it, allowing cholesterol deposits to build up, even when the cholesterol level in the blood is normal.