Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. Every year, roughly 650,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S., which is over a quarter of all U.S. deaths. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease and is the leading cause of heart attacks.

Coronary artery disease is characterized by you arteries becoming hard and narrow where blood has a hard time getting to the heart. CAD can lead to angina (or chest pain caused by lack of blood to heart), Heart attack, heart arrhythmia (changes in beating of heart), shortness of breath, swelling of feet, ankle, and legs, and extreme tiredness.

If you experience heart fluttering or shortness of breath, you should get immediate medical attention.

Heart diseases describe a huge range of diseases including:

  • Angina
  • Arrhythmia
  • Arteriosclerosis
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Atrial Septal Defect (ASD; see Holes in the Heart)
  • Barlow’s Syndrome (Mitral Valve Prolapse)¬†¬†
  • Cardiac Arrest (Sudden Cardiac Arrest)
  • Cardiac Catheterization
  • Cardiogenic Shock
  • Carotid Artery Disease
  • Chest Pain (Angina)¬†
  • Cholesterol, High Blood¬†¬†¬†
  • Congenital Heart Defects
  • Congestive Heart Failure (Heart Failure)¬†
  • Coronary Artery Disease or CAD
  • Coronary Heart Disease of CHD
  • Coronary Microvascular Disease
  • Endocarditis
  • Heart Attack or Myocardial Infarction ( MI)¬†
  • Heart Block¬†
  • Heart Murmur
  • Heart Palpitations
  • Heart Surgery
  • Heart Transplant
  • Heart Valve Disease
  • High Blood Cholesterol
  • High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)¬†
  • Holes in the Heart
  • Kawasaki Disease
  • Long QT Syndrome
  • Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)¬†
  • Marfan Syndrome
  • Metabolic Syndrome
  • PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease)
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
  • Pericarditis
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
  • Raynaud’s Disease
  • Rheumatic Heart Disease
  • Sudden Cardiac Arrest
  • Varicose Veins
  • Vasculitis
  • Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD; see Holes in the Heart)
  • Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (see Arrhythmia)

For more information, go to

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Browse/Heart.html

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