There are several types of heart disease. Among these types are the diseases that affect your heart's arteries, its muscle layer, as well as the membrane that covers it. The term coronary arteries refers to the arteries of your heart. The muscle layer is called the myocardium, and its disease type is called cardiomyopathy. The pericardium is the membrane that covers your heart, while pericarditis is the type of heart disease that affects this membrane. Each type of heart disease has its own risk factors and treatments.
Coronary Artery Disease
Thomas Bashore, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, writes in "Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment" that coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., as approximately one out of every five deaths is due to this disease alone. It is caused by plaque, which is the accumulation in your arteries of pockets of cholesterol and saturated fats with a cap that covers them. Coronary artery disease is an atherosclerotic heart disease. It is called atherosclerotic because the arteries have become stiff and narrow. Narrowed coronary arteries means your heart will not get the blood and oxygen that it needs.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
This disease is called hypertrophic because some of the walls in the heart are too thick. A long history of hypertension puts you at risk for this disease. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can also be hereditary. It is the most common cause of sudden death in young athletes who have undergone extremely strenuous exercise. The condition can cause you to be short of breath, have difficulty breathing, have chest pain, palpitations and lose consciousness after extreme exertion.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition where your heart is dilated (enlarged), which can gradually lead to heart failure. The reason for most cases of dilated cardiomyopathy is unknown. But medical students are told to memorize the "ABCD" reasons for some cases that are known to cause it--alcohol, beriberi (disease), coxsackie B virus, Chagas disease, cocaine and doxorubicin (medication). You will usually be short of breath and may have a fever, if an infection is causing the heart disease.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
In restrictive cardiomyopathy, your heart is restricted from being able to expand and fill up with enough blood. The condition can happen as a result of certain diseases which infiltrate your heart's muscle. Dr. Bashore writes that most cases are due to amyloidosis, a disease where a protein called amyloid is deposited in various organs. The amyloid deposits in your heart will be between your muscle fibers. This will prevent the fibers from being able to expand. (In a disease called hemochromatosis, your body absorbs too much iron and then deposits the iron in various organs. When the iron is deposited in your heart, this will also prevent your heart muscle from being able to expand.)
Pericarditis
Pericarditis is the inflammation of your heart's pericardium, which is the membrane that covers your heart. Brian Hoit, M.D., Director of Echocardiography at the University Hospitals of Cleveland explains in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals" that this can happen as a result of infections, usually viruses, but can also be due to trauma to your heart, systemic lupus erythematosus (disease), cancer or tuberculosis. Symptoms of pericarditis include chest pain, which feels better if you lean forward or don't breathe deeply, and you may also have fever and cough.
References
- "Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2009"; Stephen McPhee, M.D., Maxine Papadakis, M.D.; 2009
- "Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease"; Ramzi Cotran, M.D., Vinay Kumar, M.D., Stanley Robbins, M.D.; 1994
- Merck Manual: Pericarditis
