Cardiovascular disease, also known as cardiac disease, is the name for a group of diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. Although many forms of cardiac disease can be prevented through lifestyle changes, they remain the No. 1 cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Many of the cardiac diseases are chronic, meaning they last for a long period of time or recur frequently.
Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease, is a chronic disease that affects the arteries responsible for supplying oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Coronary artery disease occurs when plaque, a fatty substance made of cholesterol, fat and calcium, builds up in the arteries. This process, known as atherosclerosis, causes the arteries to become narrower, restricting the flow of blood into the heart.
Coronary artery disease kills more than half a million men and women in the United States every year, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Over time, as the arteries narrow, the heart is deprived of oxygen-rich blood. This causes angina, or chest pain, which can lead to a heart attack.
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatic heart disease is a chronic condition characterized by damaged heart valves caused by rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that begins as strep throat---a group A streptococcus bacterial infection of the throat. Although patients of any age can develop rheumatic fever, it is most common in children under the age of 15, as described by the American Heart Association.
Rheumatic heart disease causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, chest pain and fainting. This chronic heart disease can be prevented by treating strep throat infections before they escalate into rheumatic fever.
Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital, meaning present at birth, heart disease is a problem with the structure or function of the heart as a result of an abnormality that occurred during the development of the heart. The National Institutes of Health reports that congenital heart disease is responsible for more deaths during the first year of life than any other birth defect.
There are many types of congenital heart disease, which are classified into two groups: cyanotic, which is blue discoloration caused by a lack of oxygen, and non-cyanotic. The symptoms of congenital heart disease are dependent upon the specific defect, but some may be apparent at birth while others may take years to surface.
