What is Cardiovascular Disease? Types Causes and Treatment
Contents
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease is a general term for disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.
Diseases under the heart disease umbrella include blood vessel diseases, like coronary disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); and heart defects you’re born with (congenital heart defects), among others.
Types of Cardiovascular Disease:
There are different types of cardiovascular disease which are as follows:
- Peripheral artery disease, which causes arteries to become narrow and reduces blood flow to the limbs
- Aneurysm, a bulge or enlargement in an artery that can rupture and bleed
- Atherosclerosis, during which plaque forms along the walls of blood vessels, narrowing them and restricting the flow of oxygen-rich blood
- Renal artery disease, which affects blood flow to the kidneys and may cause high blood pressure
- Raynaud’s disease, which causes arteries to spasm and temporarily restrict blood flow
- Peripheral venous disease, or general damage within the veins that transport blood from the feet and arms back to the heart, which can cause leg swelling and varicose veins
- Angina, chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle
- Arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat or cardiac rhythm
- A congenital heart defect, in which a problem with heart structure or function is present from birth
- Coronary artery disease, which affects the arteries that feed the heart muscle
- Heart attack, or a sudden blockage to the heart’s blood flow and oxygen supply
- Heart failure, in which the heart cannot pump or fill with blood normally
- Dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease in which the heart’s main pumping chamber enlarges and can’t pump blood efficiently
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle walls thicken and problems with the relaxation of the muscle, blood flow, and electrical instability develop
- Mitral regurgitation, during which blood leaks back through the mitral valve of the heart during contractions
- Mitral valve prolapse, in which part of the mitral valve bulges back into the left atrium of the heart as it contracts, which can cause mitral regurgitation
- Pulmonary valve stenosis, a narrowing of the pulmonary valve that reduces blood flow from the right ventricle (the chamber that pumps blood to the lungs) into the pulmonary artery
Risk factors
Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include older age, male sex and family history. The key risk factors named by the CDC are high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.
Diabetes, overweight or obesity, an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use, drug misuse and chronic kidney disease also raise risk.
Symptoms and causes
In the early stages of cardiomyopathy, you’ll have no symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include:
- Breathlessness with exertion or at rest
- Swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet
- Fatigue
- Irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting
Endocarditis is an infection that affects the inner lining of the heart’s chambers and valves (endocardium). Heart infection symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness or fatigue
- Swelling in your legs or abdomen
- Changes in your cardiac rhythm
- Dry or persistent cough
- Skin rashes or unusual spots
Serious congenital heart defects, which are present at birth, usually become evident soon after birth. Heart defect symptoms in children could include:
- Pale gray or blue complexion (cyanosis)
- Swelling within the legs, abdomen or areas around the eyes
- In an infant, shortness of breath during feedings, resulting in poor weight gain
Less serious congenital heart defects are often not diagnosed until later in childhood or during adulthood. Signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects that sometimes aren’t immediately life-threatening include:
- Easily getting short of breath during exercise or activity
- Easily tiring during exercise or activity
- Swelling within the hands, ankles or feet
Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease
The treatment option that’s best for an individual will depend on their specific type of CVD. However, some options include:
- Medication, such as drugs to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, improve blood flow, or control heart rhythm
- Surgery, such as coronary artery bypass grafting or valve repair or replacement surgery
- Cardiac rehabilitation, including exercise prescriptions and lifestyle counseling
Treatment may also include medicines to control blood pressure, diabetes, or cholesterol. Examples include ACE inhibitors, aspirin, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, nitrates, and statins. Don’t start daily aspirin on your own; ask your doctor whether it’s right for you.
More severe heart conditions may be treated with coronary artery bypass surgery, minimally invasive surgery, or percutaneous coronary intervention (stents).
Depending on the condition, a healthcare provider can also seek to stabilize heart rhythms, reduce blockages, and relax the arteries to allow better blood flow.
If you have chest pain, shortness of breath or other signs of a heart attack, call 911 right away.
HP Thoughts: Continue with our third in this series: Cyanotic Heart Disease.
Sources
- Heart Disease Facts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Heart Diseases, MedlinePlus
