Chronic heart disease, the number one killer in the United States, is responsible for more than 40 percent of all deaths, according to the Mayo Clinic. Chronic heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, describes a wide array of diseases that affect the heart. Chronic heart disease can cause narrowed or blocked blood vessels, irregular heart rhythms, deformed heart valves or congestive heart failure.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease develops when plaque accumulates within the arteries of the heart, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Arterial plaque consists of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products and calcium. Arterial plaque, also known as atherosclerosis, becomes dangerous when it grow so large that it reduces the amount of blood supply to the heart, resulting in a heart attack.
Atherosclerosis alone typically does not cause any symptoms; however, when it results in heart attack, symptoms then become present. Heart attack symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat.
Heart Valve Disease
Heart valve disease occurs when the heart valves stop working efficiently, according to the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association states that approximately five million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disorders each year. Valvular heart disease can develop at birth or over a lifetime.
Valvular heart disease consists of two types: valvular stenosis and valvular insufficiency. Valvular stenosis occurs when the heart valve narrows due to stiff leaflets. Stenosis of the valve causes the heart to work harder to pump blood through the narrow valve. Valvular insufficiency involves a valve which has difficulty closing fully, and causes blood to leak backward through the valve (valvular regurgitation). Valvular insufficiency causes the heart to work harder, to make up for the lack of blood being pumped through the body because of the leaky valve.
The symptoms associated with valvular heart disease include shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, chest discomfort, palpitations, edema of the extremities and rapid weight gain.
Congestive Heart Failure
Excessive damage to the heart can result in congestive heart failure, where the heart cannot pump enough blood to the rest of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. Heart damage results from conditions such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure, which causes the heart to become too weak or stiff to fill and pump efficiently. The word "congestive" refers to the fluid build-up within the lungs and body tissues. Heart failure ranges in severity; typically, the severity is based on the degree of damage to the heart.
Shortness of breath, the most common symptom of congestive heart failure, develops from backed-up blood in the pulmonary veins (the veins that return blood back to the heart). The extra blood creates congestion within the heart, making the heart unable to eject blood efficiently, which causes the extra fluid to leak into the lungs. Shortness of breath can occur with activity, at rest or while asleep. Other symptoms include persistent cough, wheezing, fluid build-up in the extremities (edema), weight gain, fatigue or rapid heart rate.
