Claim: Maintaining a healthy weight can prevent coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease -LRB- CAD -RRB- , also known as ischemic heart disease -LRB- IHD -RRB- , is a group of diseases that includes : stable angina , unstable angina , myocardial infarction , and sudden cardiac death . It is within the group of cardiovascular diseases of which it is the most common type . A common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may travel into the shoulder , arm , back , neck , or jaw . Occasionally it may feel like heartburn . Usually symptoms occur with exercise or emotional stress , last less than a few minutes , and get better with rest . Shortness of breath may also occur and sometimes no symptoms are present . The first sign is occasionally a heart attack . Other complications include heart failure or an irregular heartbeat .    Risk factors include : high blood pressure , smoking , diabetes , lack of exercise , obesity , high blood cholesterol , poor diet , and excessive alcohol , among others . Other risks include depression . The underlying mechanism involves atherosclerosis of the arteries of the heart . A number of tests may help with diagnoses including : electrocardiogram , cardiac stress testing , coronary computed tomographic angiography , and coronary angiogram , among others .   Prevention is by eating a healthy diet , regular exercise , maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking . Sometimes medication for diabetes , high cholesterol , or high blood pressure are also used . There is limited evidence for screening people who are at low risk and do not have symptoms . Treatment involves the same measures as prevention . Additional medications such as antiplatelets including aspirin , beta blockers , or nitroglycerin may be recommended . Procedures such as percutaneous coronary intervention -LRB- PCI -RRB- or coronary artery bypass surgery -LRB- CABG -RRB- may be used in severe disease . In those with stable CAD it is unclear if PCI or CABG in addition to the other treatments improve life expectancy or decreases heart attack risk .   In 2015 CAD affected 110 million people and resulted in 8.9 million deaths . It makes up 15.9 % of all deaths making it the most common cause of death globally . The risk of death from CAD for a given age has decreased between 1980 and 2010 , especially in developed countries . The number of cases of CAD for a given age has also decreased between 1990 and 2010 . In the United States in 2010 about 20 % of those over 65 had CAD , while it was present in 7 % of those 45 to 64 , and 1.3 % of those 18 to 45 . Rates are higher among men than women of a given age .