Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery disease (CAD), such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart arrhythmia, congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, carditis, aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, thromboembolic disease, and venous thrombosis.
Types
The most common type of cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, is caused by atherosclerosis — a build-up of fatty material and plaque in the walls of the arteries. This build-up narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood clot forms, it can stop the blood flow, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Risk Factors
There are many risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. Some of these include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood cholesterol, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption. Age, sex, and family history are also important risk factors.
Prevention
Prevention of cardiovascular disease involves improving risk factors through: healthy eating, exercise, avoidance of tobacco smoke and limiting alcohol intake. Medications and therapy can also be used to manage cardiovascular disease, but they are typically not as effective as lifestyle changes.
Treatment
Treatment for cardiovascular disease typically involves lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, as well as medications to control risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes. In some cases, procedures such as coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery may be necessary.
See Also
Cardiovascular disease A-Z
Most common cardiac diseases
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Cardiogenetic disorders
- Cardiomegaly
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Chronic rheumatic heart diseases
- Congenital heart defects
- Heart neoplasia
- Ischemic heart diseases
- Pericardial disorders
- Syndromes affecting the heart
- Valvular heart disease
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
- Accelerated idioventricular rhythm
- Acute decompensated heart failure
- Arteriosclerotic heart disease
- Athletic heart syndrome
- Atrial flutter
- Atrioventricular fistula
- Cardiovascular disease in Australia
- Autoimmune heart disease
B
C
- Ebb Cade
- Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
- Cardiac amyloidosis
- Cardiac asthma
- Cardiac tamponade
- Cardiogenic shock
- Cardiogeriatrics
- Cardiorenal syndrome
- Cardiotoxicity
- Carditis
- Coronary artery aneurysm
- Coronary artery anomaly
- Coronary artery disease
- Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
- Coronary artery ectasia
- Coronary occlusion
- Coronary steal
- Coronary thrombosis
- Coronary vasospasm
- Cœur en sabot
- Coxsackievirus-induced cardiomyopathy
D
E
H
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
- Heart to Heart (1949 film)
- High-output heart failure
- Hyperdynamic precordium
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
I
- Idiopathic giant-cell myocarditis
- Interventricular dyssynchrony
- Intraventricular dyssynchrony
- Isolated atrial amyloidosis
K
L
M
- Mydicar
- Myocardial bridge
- Myocardial disarray
- Myocardial rupture
- Myocardial scarring
- Myocardial stunning
- Myocarditis
N
O
P
- Papillary fibroelastoma
- Pathophysiology of heart failure
- Postpericardiotomy syndrome
- Pulmonary vein stenosis
R
S
- Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease
- SCAR-Fc
- Shone's syndrome
- Strain pattern
- Subacute bacterial endocarditis
- Sudden cardiac death of athletes
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
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V
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