Heart disease also known as cardiovascular disease is a term used to describe a constellation of conditions that can affect the heart and/or its valves, vessels, structure, electrical system, or coronary arteries.
Though each disease affects the heart differently, the ultimate problem with all varieties of heart disease is that they can disrupt the vital pumping action of the heart.
Men are more likely than women to develop heart disease. However, women’s risk of heart disease increases during midlife, and it’s believed that declining sex hormone levels that occur during menopause likely play a role.
The risk of having heart disease increases with age, and by age 80 and older, nearly 9 out of 10 men and more than 9 out of 10 women have heart disease.
Signs of a heart disease
Heart/chest palpitations
Dizziness
Fainting
Fatigue
Problems catching your breath or shortness of breath (dyspnea)
Tightness in the chest area
Edema (swelling)
Risk factors for heart disease
Being overweight or obese
Excessive alcohol use
Having diabetes
Having high cholesterol
Having high blood pressure
Not being physically active
Smoking
Eating an unhealthy diet
Types of cardiovascular diseases
Coronary artery disease
This refers to problems with the blood vessels of the heart, including blockages. These blockages can cause a lowered blood flow to the heart, increasing the risk for a heart attack. The usual cause is the build-up of plaque. This causes coronary arteries to narrow, limiting blood flow to the heart.
The plaque can also burst, leading to a blood clot.
Symptoms of coronary artery disease
Shortness of breath.
Chest pain.
Fatigue.
Heart attack.
Risk factors for coronary artery disease
Age.
Sex.
Family history.
Smoking.
High blood pressure.
Overweight.
High cholesterol.
High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Stress.
Alcohol.
Chronic Kidney Disease.
Unhealthy Diet.
Stress.
Complications of coronary artery disease
Heart failure: Narrowed arteries in the heart or high blood pressure can slowly make the heart weak or stiff so it’s harder to pump blood. Heart failure is when the heart doesn’t pump blood as it should.
Heart attack: A heart attack can happen if a cholesterol plaque breaks open and causes a blood clot to form. A clot can block blood flow. The lack of blood can damage the heart muscle. The amount of damage depends in part on how quickly you are treated.
Chest pains: When the coronary arteries narrow, the heart may not get enough blood when it needs it most — like when exercising. This can cause chest pain (angina) or shortness of breath.
Irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia): Not enough blood to the heart can alter normal heart signaling, causing irregular heartbeats.
Diagnosing coronary artery disease
Physical examination. You’ll likely be asked questions about your medical history and any symptoms.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This quick and painless test measures the electrical activity of the heart. It can show how fast or slow the heart is beating. Your provider can look at signal patterns to determine if you’re having or had a heart attack.
Echocardiogram. This test uses sound waves to create pictures of the beating heart. An echocardiogram can show how blood moves through the heart and heart valves.
Parts of the heart that move weakly may be caused by a lack of oxygen or a heart attack. This may be a sign of coronary artery disease or other conditions.
Exercise stress test. If signs and symptoms occur most often during exercise, your provider may ask you to walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike during an ECG. If an echocardiogram is done while you do these exercises, the test is called a stress echo. If you can’t exercise, you might be given medications that stimulate the heart like exercise does.
Nuclear stress test. This test is similar to an exercise stress test but adds images to the ECG recordings. A nuclear stress test shows how blood moves to the heart muscle at rest and during stress. A radioactive tracer is given by IV. The tracer helps the heart arteries show up more clearly on images.
Heart (cardiac) CT scan. A CT scan of the heart can show calcium deposits and blockages in the heart arteries. Calcium deposits can narrow the arteries.
Sometimes dye is given by IV during this test. The dye helps create detailed pictures of the heart arteries. If dye is used, the test is called a CT coronary angiogram.
Cardiac catheterization and angiogram. During cardiac catheterization, a heart doctor (cardiologist) gently inserts a flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel, usually in the wrist or groin. The catheter is gently guided to the heart. X-rays help guide it. Dye flows through the catheter. The dye helps blood vessels show up better on the images and outlines any blockages.
If you have an artery blockage that needs treatment, a balloon on the tip of the catheter can be inflated to open the artery. A mesh tube (stent) is typically used to keep the artery open.
