Cardiovascular Disease

 

What is Cardiovascular Disease?

As the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease (CVD) puts a significant strain on healthcare systems around the world. Referring to a group of disorders affecting the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), CVD has a variety of causes and conditions classified under this umbrella. In this short article, we’ll discuss the four most common types of CVD, their causes, and how treatment may differ between the different conditions.

Common Types of CVD

Coronary Heart Disease

In the United States, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death. Coronary heart disease is a blockage in the arteries, preventing the delivery of blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease can also be divided into coronary artery disease, affecting the larger coronary arteries specifically, and coronary microvascular disease, a disease of the small arteries in the heart. What makes coronary heart disease extremely difficult to detect is the wide variety of symptoms that present during the disease. Some individuals (especially women) may present with little to no symptoms even during a heart attack. The cause of coronary heart disease is widely accepted to be poor diet or lack of exercise. In the case of coronary artery disease and its characteristic build-up of cholesterol in the arteries, this cardiovascular disease can be prevented with a low-cholesterol diet and active lifestyle.

Peripheral Arterial Disease

As the name suggests, peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a cardiovascular disease that blocks efficient blood flow to the arms and legs. This reduction in blood flow can cause significant leg pain and is commonly identifiable by pain specifically in the calf muscle. PAD is usually caused by a buildup of plaques in the arteries (also called atherosclerosis) commonly caused by poor diet (i.e., high in saturated fat), an inactive lifestyle, or smoking or using tobacco. Treatment for PAD (and coronary heart disease) typically consists of symptom management for the pain, as well as medication to reduce fatty deposit build-ups in the arteries or even complete surgical bypass of any blocked arteries.

Aortic Disease

The aortic valve is a critical valve that keeps blood flowing in the correct direction throughout the heart. Aortic disease refers to a diseased aortic valve that causes dysfunction in the homeostatic blood flow of the heart. Like coronary heart disease, aortic disease can be subdivided into two conditions: aortic valve regurgitation and aortic valve stenosis. Regurgitation, in this case, means blood is flowing backward into the ventricle, sometimes referred to as a “leaky” valve. Aortic valve stenosis, however, is characterized by a thickening of the cusps of the aortic valve, causing a narrowing of these channels and blocking blood flow to the rest of the body. Unlike coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial disease, aortic disease can be congenital or contracted during adulthood.

Stroke

Following coronary heart disease as the top cause of mortality in the United States, stroke falls shortly behind as the fifth leading cause of death in the country. In contrast to the atherosclerosis of arteries supplying blood flow to the heart (described above), stroke can occur when atherosclerosis occurs in the arteries supplying blood flow to the brain. These blockages prevent the delivery of oxygen and blood to the brain (also called a thrombotic stroke) but can also send blood clots through these arteries to the rest of the body and lodge in an already-narrowed artery. Prevention is the best medicine for stroke; a heart-healthy lifestyle (i.e., smoking cessation, consistent activity, etc.) can limit plaque build-up in the arteries that deliver oxygen and blood to these critical organs and prevent devastating downstream effects like stroke.