Heart Diseases:
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)
affect your heart and blood vessels. Almost half of all adults in the U.S. have
at least one form of heart disease. You may make lifestyle changes to manage
cardiovascular disease or your healthcare provider may prescribe medications.
The sooner you detect cardiovascular disease, the easier it is to treat.
What is
cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular
disease is a group of diseases affecting your heart and blood vessels. These
diseases can affect one or many parts of your heart and/or blood vessels. A
person may be symptomatic (physically experiencing the disease) or asymptomatic
(not feeling anything at all).
Cardiovascular
disease includes heart or blood vessel issues, including:
- Narrowing
of the blood vessels in your heart, other organs or throughout your body.
- Heart
and blood vessel problems present at birth.
- Heart
valves that aren’t working right.
- Irregular
heart rhythms.
How
common is cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular
disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and in the U.S.
Almost
half of adults in the U.S. have some form of cardiovascular disease. It affects
people of all ages, sexes, ethnicities and socioeconomic levels. One in three
women and people assigned female at birth dies from cardiovascular disease.
SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
What causes
cardiovascular disease?
The
causes of cardiovascular disease can vary depending on the specific type. For
example, atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in your arteries) causes
coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease. Coronary artery disease,
scarring of your heart muscle, genetic problems or medications can cause arrhythmias.
Aging, infections and rheumatic disease can cause valve diseases.
What are
cardiovascular disease risk factors?
You
may be more likely to develop cardiovascular disease if you have risk factors
such as:
- High
blood pressure (hypertension).
- High
cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).
- Tobacco
use (including vaping).
- Type
2 diabetes.
- Family
history of heart disease.
- Lack
of physical activity.
- Having
excess weight or obesity.
- Diet
high in sodium, sugar and fat.
- Overuse
of alcohol.
- Misuse
of prescription or recreational drugs.
- Preeclampsia or
toxemia.
- Gestational
diabetes.
- Chronic
inflammatory or autoimmune conditions.
- Chronic
kidney disease.
What are the symptoms
of cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular
disease symptoms can vary depending on the cause. Older adults and people
assigned female at birth may have more subtle symptoms. However, they can still
have serious cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms of heart
issues
- Chest
pain (angina).
- Chest
pressure, heaviness or discomfort, sometimes described as a “belt around
the chest” or a “weight on the chest.”
- Shortness
of breath (dyspnea).
- Dizziness or fainting.
- Fatigue
or exhaustion.
Symptoms of blockages
in blood vessels throughout your body
- Pain
or cramps in your legs when you walk.
- Leg
sores that aren’t healing.
- Cool
or red skin on your legs.
- Swelling
in your legs.
- Numbness
in your face or a limb. This may be on only one side of your body.
- Difficulty
with talking, seeing or walking.
What
conditions are cardiovascular diseases?
There
are many different types of cardiovascular diseases, including but not limited
to:
- Arrhythmia: Problem with
your heart’s electrical conduction system, which can lead to abnormal
heart rhythms or heart rates.
- Valve disease: Tightening or
leaking in your heart valves (structures that allow blood to flow from one
chamber to another chamber or blood vessel).
- Coronary artery disease: Problem
with your heart’s blood vessels, such as blockages.
- Heart failure: Problem
with heart pumping/relaxing functions, leading to fluid buildup and
shortness of breath.
- Peripheral artery disease: Issue with the
blood vessels of your arms, legs or abdominal organs, such as narrowing or
blockages.
- Aortic disease: Problem with
the large blood vessel that directs blood from your heart to your brain
and the rest of your body, such as dilatation or aneurysm.
- Congenital heart disease:
Heart issue that you’re born with, which can affect different parts of
your heart.
- Pericardial disease:
Problem with the lining of your heart, including pericarditis and pericardial
effusion.
- Cerebrovascular disease:
Issue with the blood vessels that deliver blood to your brain, such as
narrowing or blockages.
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): Blockage in your
veins, vessels that bring blood back from your brain/body to your heart.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS
How is cardiovascular
disease diagnosed?
Your
healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your
symptoms, personal health and family health history. They may also order tests
to help diagnose cardiovascular disease.
What tests might I
have for cardiovascular disease?
Some
common tests to diagnose cardiovascular disease include:
- Blood work measures
substances that indicate cardiovascular health, such as cholesterol, blood
sugar levels and specific proteins. A provider can use a blood test to
check for blood clotting issues as well.
- Ankle brachial
index (ABI) compares the blood pressure in your ankles and arms
to diagnose peripheral artery disease.
- Electrocardiogram
(EKG) records
your heart’s electrical activity.
- Ambulatory
monitoring uses
wearable devices that track your heart rhythm and rates.
- Echocardiogram uses sound
waves to create an image of your heartbeat and blood flow.
- Ultrasound uses sound waves
to check blood flow in your legs or neck.
- Cardiac
computerized tomography (CT) uses X-rays and computer
processing to create 3D images of your heart and blood vessels.
- Cardiac magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnets and radio waves to create
highly detailed images of your heart.
- MR angiogram or
CT angiogram uses an MRI or CT, respectively, to see
blood vessels in your legs, head and neck.
- Stress tests analyze
how physical activity affects your heart in a controlled setting, using
exercise or medications, to determine how your heart responds. This type
of test can involve EKGs and/or imaging tests.
- Cardiac
catheterization uses a catheter (thin, hollow tube) to measure
pressure and blood flow in your heart.
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT
How is cardiovascular
disease treated?
Treatment
plans can vary depending on your symptoms and the type of cardiovascular
disease you have. Cardiovascular disease treatment may include:
- Lifestyle
changes:
Examples include changing your diet, increasing your aerobic activity and
quitting smoking or tobacco products (including vaping).
- Medications: Your
healthcare provider may prescribe medications to help manage
cardiovascular disease. Medication type will depend on what kind of
cardiovascular disease you have.
- Procedures or
surgeries:
If medications aren’t enough, your healthcare provider may use certain
procedures or surgeries to treat your cardiovascular disease. Examples
include stents in your heart or leg arteries, minimally
invasive heart surgery, open-heart surgery, ablations or cardioversion.
- Cardiac
rehabilitation: You may
need a monitored exercise program to help your heart get stronger.
- Active
surveillance: You may need careful monitoring over time without
medications or procedures/surgeries.
PREVENTION
How can
I prevent cardiovascular disease?
You
can't prevent some types of cardiovascular disease, such as congenital heart
disease. But lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of many types of
cardiovascular disease.
You can reduce your
cardiovascular risks by:
- Avoiding
all tobacco products.
- Managing
other health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or high
blood pressure.
- Achieving
and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Eating
a diet low in saturated fat and sodium.
- Exercising
at least 30 to 60 minutes per day on most days.
- Reducing
and managing stress.
Many people enjoy a high quality of life and can manage their
cardiovascular disease with the help of their healthcare team. Your chances for
a positive outcome are higher if you engage in your healthcare and follow your
provider’s treatment plan. It’s important to take medications exactly as
prescribed.
Does
cardiovascular disease increase my risk of other conditions?
Untreated
cardiovascular disease can lead to serious complications.
If you have
cardiovascular disease, you may have a higher risk of:
- Heart
attack.
- Stroke.
- Acute
limb ischemia (sudden blockage in your leg arteries).
- Aortic
dissection.
- Sudden
cardiac death.
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