Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. It is an umbrella term that encompasses multiple issues such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, congenital heart defects, and more.
Some key points about cardiovascular disease:
- Key risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and more. Controlling these can help prevent CVD.
- Common symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, leg swelling, and more. But it's important to note that people can have CVD without symptoms.
- Diagnosis often involves medical history, physical exam, EKG, stress test, echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, and other tests.
- Treatment focuses on lifestyle changes and medications to control risk factors. Procedures like bypass surgery or stenting may also be options.
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Now let's dive deeper into some of the key types of cardiovascular disease:
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is characterized by plaque buildup inside the coronary arteries. This can cause chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath, and can lead to heart attack if blood flow is completely blocked. Risk factors like high LDL cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and family history can worsen CAD. Treatment focuses on controlling those risk factors.
Heart Failure
Known as congestive heart failure (CHF), heart failure means the heart can't pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the body's needs. It develops over time and is usually irreversible once damage occurs. Beyond lifestyle changes, treatment may involve medications like ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, or diuretics. More advanced cases could need mechanical pumps or heart transplant.