Heart Disease

What is Heart Disease?

Many of us use the terms heart disease and cardiovascular disease interchangeably; however, both of these terms refer to different diseases. Both of these are umbrella terms, meaning that there are more specific diseases within these categories. Cardiovascular disease refers to both diseases from the heart (cardio) and the vessels (vascular). An example of cardiovascular disease would be high blood pressure. Heart disease refers to only conditions affecting the heart. The heart is an organ made of muscular tissue, and many diseases can affect this vital organ's functionality. An example of heart disease would be coronary artery disease. This means that every heart disease is a cardiovascular disease but not every cardiovascular disease is a type of heart disease.

How Does Heart Disease Affect People?

Heart disease severely impacts people, and it is the cause of the most deaths in America. Approximately 1 in 4 deaths are the result of heart disease. The most common heart disease is coronary artery disease, which is also known as arteriosclerosis. Coronary artery disease happens when plaque forms on your arteries or blood vessels. With plaque in the way, the opening for blood to flow through becomes more narrow. This means that there may be times that blood flow is interrupted. When blood flow is slowed down or interrupted, it can lead to a stroke. If the plaque has narrowed down the blood vessel too much, then a heart attack may occur.

What Are Other Examples of Heart Diseases?

Other types of heart disease include dilated cardiomyopathy, mitral valve regurgitation, and aortic stenosis. Dilated cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart chambers become dilated or enlarged. When the heart chamber is enlarged, the heart muscles stretch and weaken the heart—disrupting the heart's ability to pump blood. Dilated cardiomyopathy can lead to arrhythmia, blood clots in the heart, and heart failure. Mitral valve regurgitation occurs when the mitral valve does not close properly, letting blood flow back into the heart. When this happens, blood can not flow and move to different parts of the body efficiently. Mitral valve regurgitation can result in heart failure. Aorta stenosis occurs when the pulmonary valve is fused or too thick, making it very hard for blood to pump blood from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery. Aorta stenosis can also affect and put pressure on the left atrium. People can be born with this disease, or it can be developed.

What Are The Symptoms?

People are often unaware of this disease until they start to experience heart failure, arrhythmia, or heart attack. Symptoms of these events include, but are not limited to, chest pain, heartburn, shortness of breath, nausea, extreme fatigue, heart palpitations, or swelling.

How Can We Prevent It?

The key to lowering the chances of heart disease is keeping a healthy lifestyle. This can mean choosing to eat healthier, doing physical activity, or keeping a healthy weight. Knowing which factors can affect the chances of heart disease is also essential. Some conditions that can increase heart disease risk are diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. However, even with these conditions, taking extra steps can still lower the risk. If you have high blood pressure, make sure it is monitored. If you have diabetes, be sure to monitor your blood levels. If you have high cholesterol, be sure to get it checked as directed by your healthcare professional.

Sources:

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/257484

• https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/

• https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease

• Vascular Disease | MedlinePlhttps://medlineplus.gov/vasculardiseases.htmlus

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/237191

• https://ic.steadyhealth.com/how-does-heart-disease-affect-the-body

• https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm