List of Common Cardiovascular Disease

ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Commonly called "hardening of the arteries", it is a progressive disease that causes the arteries to become narrowed and the walls of the arteries to lose elasticity. Here, arteries are narrowed and hardened when cholesterol and fats build up in the walls of the arteries. It can form in any of the arteries in the body. When there is atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, the heart muscle does not receive the blood and nutrients it needs, this leads to angina pectoris, and possibly heart attack.

HYPERTENSION

Hypertension the medical name given to high blood pressure. When you have hypertension, the blood vessels become tight and constricted, forcing your heart to pump harder to move blood through your body. These changes cause the blood to press on the vessel walls with greater force. Over time, fatty deposits may build up along the walls and cause hardening of the arteries. This process is called atherosclerosis. The heart must work even harder to pump blood through these hardened arteries. Sometimes blood clots form on these narrow arteries, causing a heart attack or stroke.

· defined in adult as a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 Hg systolic pressure and greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure.

CORONARY HEART DISEASE

Coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease in most industrialized countries, is responsible for nearly 500,000 deaths in the United States yearly. It is caused by atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty material called plaque on the inside of the coronary arteries. Over the course of many years, this plaque narrows the arteries so that less blood can flow through them and less oxygen reaches the heart muscle.

The most common symptom of coronary heart disease is angina pectoris, a squeezing chest pain that may radiate to the neck, jaw, back, and left arm. Angina pectoris is a signal that blood flow to the heart muscle falls short when extra work is required from the heart muscle. An attack of angina is typically triggered by exercise or other physical exertion, or by strong emotions.

Coronary heart disease can also lead to a heart attack. In a heart attack, part of the heart muscle dies because it is deprived of oxygen. This oxygen deprivation is also responsible for the crushing chest pain characteristic of a heart attack.

Coronary heart disease was once thought to affect primarily men, but this is not the case. The disease affects an equal number of men and women, although women tend to develop the disease later in life than men do.

Coronary heart disease cannot be cured, but it can often be controlled with a combination of lifestyle changes and medications. Patients with coronary heart disease are encouraged to quit smoking, exercise regularly, and eat a low-fat diet.

CONGENITAL DEFECTS

About 8 of every 1,000 babies in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect. One of the most common abnormalities is a septal defect, an opening between the right and left atrium or between the right and left ventricle. In babies with these abnormalities, some of the oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs is pumped to the lungs again, placing extra strain on the right ventricle and on the blood vessels leading to and from the lung.

An infant may be born with several different heart defects, as in the condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot. In this condition, a combination of four different heart malformations allows mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood pumped by the heart. Infants with tetralogy of Fallot are often known as "blue babies" because of the characteristic bluish tinge of their skin, a condition caused by lack of oxygen.

ARRYTHMIAS

Arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms, arise from problems with the electrical conduction system of the heart. Arrhythmias can occur in either the atria or the ventricles.

Some people have minor arrhythmias that persist for long periods and are not dangerous-in fact, they are simply heartbeats that are normal for that particular person's heart. A temporary arrhythmia can be caused by alcohol, caffeine, or simply not getting a good night's sleep.

Arrhythmias may involve either abnormally slow or abnormally fast rhythms. However, the rhythm they generate is slow, often only about 40 beats per minute. An abnormally slow heartbeat is dangerous if the heart does not pump enough blood to supply the brain and the rest of the body with oxygen. In this case, episodes of dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting may occur. Some types of abnormally fast heart rhythms are usually not dangerous. Others may be controlled with medications.