What is heart disease?

 

What is heart disease?

Heart disease refers to any problem affecting the heart, such as coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, and heart failure. Lifestyle choices can prevent many of these conditions, and medication can help manage them if they occur.

The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease   (CAD), which affects the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack.

Types of heart diseases

1.     Coronary heart disease

2.       Angina

3.       Unstable angina 

4.       Heart attack

5.       Heart failure

6.       Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms)

7.       Valve disease 

8.       Inherited heart conditions

9.       High blood pressure

10.   Congenital heart conditions

What are the symptoms of heart disease?

Sometimes heart disease may be “silent” and not diagnosed until a person experiences signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia. When these events happen, symptoms may include¹

• Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
• Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations).
• Heart failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins.

What are the risk factors for heart disease?

High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,   and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of people in the United States (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors.² Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including

• diabetes
• Overweight and obesity
• Unhealthy diet
• physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use

Heart disease symptoms caused by diseased heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)

Early stages of cardiomyopathy may not cause noticeable symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include:

·         Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting

·         Fatigue

·         Feeling short of breath during activity or at rest

·         Feeling short of breath at night when trying to sleep or waking up short of breath

·         Irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering

·         Swollen legs, ankles or feet

Diagnosis

Your health care provider will examine you and ask about your personal and family medical history.

Many different tests are used to diagnose heart disease. Besides blood tests and a chest X-ray, tests to diagnose heart disease can include:

·         Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). An ECG is a quick and painless test that records the electrical signals in the heart. It can tell if the heart is beating too fast or too slowly.

·         Holter monitoring. A Holter monitor is a portable ECG device that's worn for a day or more to record the heart's activity during daily activities. This test can detect irregular heartbeats that aren't found during a regular ECG exam.

·         Echocardiogram. This noninvasive exam uses sound waves to create detailed images of the heart in motion. It shows how blood moves through the heart and heart valves. An echocardiogram can help determine if a valve is narrowed or leaking.

·         Exercise tests or stress tests. These tests often involve walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike while the heart is monitored. Exercise tests help reveal how the heart responds to physical activity and whether heart disease symptoms occur during exercise. If you can't exercise, you might be given medications.

·         Cardiac catheterization. This test can show blockages in the heart arteries. A long, thin flexible tube (catheter) is inserted in a blood vessel, usually in the groin or wrist, and guided to the heart. Dye flows through the catheter to arteries in the heart. The dye helps the arteries show up more clearly on X-ray images taken during the test.

·         Heart (cardiac) CT scan. In a cardiac CT scan, you lie on a table inside a doughnut-shaped machine. An X-ray tube inside the machine rotates around your body and collects images of your heart and chest.

·         Heart (cardiac) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. A cardiac MRI uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of the heart.

 

Treatment

Heart disease treatment depends on the cause and type of heart damage. Healthy lifestyle habits — such as eating a low-fat, low-salt diet, getting regular exercise and good sleep, and not smoking — are an important part of treatment.

Medications

If lifestyle changes alone don't work, medications may be needed to control heart disease symptoms and to prevent complications. The type of medication used depends on the type of heart disease.

Surgery or other procedures

Some people with heart disease may need a procedure or surgery. The type of procedure or surgery will depend on the type of heart disease and the amount of damage to the heart.