General Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients tend to be overweight or obese having high body fat in the upper body. CAD is damage to or malfunction of the heart caused by narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart muscle. Most common features of CAD are angina pectoris (chest pain caused by insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle) and cute myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Some characteristic changes on Body Composition in Coronary Artery Disease and Heart failure patients
- Altered fluid status due to increase TBW and Extracellular fluids
- Plasma volume increases and fluid accumulates in the lungs, abdominal organs and peripheral tissues.
- Development of Cachexia (wasting syndrome) resulting in loss of Body weight and lean body tissues.
- Change in Body Composition
Monitoring Body Composition
Monitoring Body composition of this group of people during recovery is very important as these patients experience loss from all body compartments and diminished bone mineral contents and lean body mass including fat mass.
The routine use of Maltron Analysers as a screening tool could help identify these diseases at a much earlier stage and help implement effective treatment helping sufferers return to normality.