Heart Diseases

Also called: Cardiac disease

If you're like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for other folks. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks.

Other kinds of heart problems may happen to the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure while some people are born with heart disease.

The most common cause of heart disease is a narrowing of or blockage in the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle itself (coronary artery disease). Some heart diseases are present at birth (congenital heart disease). Other causes include:

• Hypertension
• Abnormal heart valve function
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Weakening of the heart's pumping ability caused by infection or toxins

Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart's ability to function normally meanwhile various forms of heart disease include:

• Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• Aortic regurgitation
• Aortic stenosis
• Arrhythmias
• Cardiogenic shock
• Congenital heart disease
• Coronary artery disease (CAD)Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Endocarditis
• Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• Heart failure
• Heart tumor
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Idiopathic cardiomyopathy
• Ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Acute mitral regurgitation
• Chronic mitral regurgitation
• Mitral stenosis
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy
• Pulmonary stenosis
• Stable angina
• Unstable angina
• Tricuspid regurgitation

Prevention

Heart disease is the leading cause of the death in the U.S. Over one quarter of all deaths are from heart disease. It is also a major cause of disability. The risk of heart disease increases as you age. You have a greater risk of heart disease if you are a man over age 45 or a woman over age 55. You also are at greater risk if you have a close family member who had heart disease at an early age.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do reduce your chances of getting heart disease. You should

• Know your blood pressure and keep it under control
• Exercise regularly
• Don't smoke
• Get tested for diabetes and if you have it, keep it under control
• Know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and keep them under control
• Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
• Maintain a healthy weight

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Washington University School of Medicine

Medical College of Wisconsin