Cardiovascular diseases – Overview and major Cardiovascular diseases

Overview

Cardiovascular diseases also called heart diseases are condition that affects the functioning or structures of your heart, which may include

Abnormal heart rhythms or arrhythmias
Aorta disease and Marfan syndrome
Heart attack
Heart failure
Heart muscle disease
Heart valve disease
Vascular disease
Stroke
Rheumatic heart disease
Peripheral vascular disease
Pericardial disease
Coronary artery (deals with narrowing of arteries)
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
Heart muscle disease known as cardiomyopathy

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality globally. In 2016 around 17.9 million people died from Cardio vascular diseases in 2016, according to World Health Organization (WHO). Of all these cases 85% people dies due to heart attack and stroke. Over three quarters of Cardio Vascular diseases happens in the low and middle income.

The cause of heart attacks and strokes are often due to combination of several factors such as tobacco use, obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity as well as harmful use of alcohol, hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia.

Major cardiovascular diseases

1. Abnormal heart rhythms

Heart beats normally around 60 to 100 times each minute in steady and even rhythm. This is equals to around 100,000 times each day. Sometimes your gets out of rhythm which your doctor calls an abnormal heart beat or irregular heartbeat, which is known as arrhythmia. The heartbeat can be either too slow or too fast in this disorder.

Aorta disease and Marfan Syndrome

The aorta is a large artery that leaves your heart and then it brings oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. Both of these condition can cause the aorta to tear or widen. This can trigger some things like:-

High blood pressure
Atherosclerosis (hardened arteries)
Injury
Connective tissue disorders which can weaken your blood vessel walls like scleroderma, osteogenesis imperfect, polycystic kidney disease and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

2. Heart failure

Heart failure is the most common of all the cardiovascular diseases, says 3MEDS, online pharmacy store. People often decode the meaning of this term as, if the heart has stopped working or it has failed. But it is not so, heart failure means that your heart is not pumping as strong as it should. This may cause your body to hold water and salt which in turn can lead you to swelling and shortness of breath.

In United States heart failure is a major problem which affects more than 6.5 million people. Also, it is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65 years.

3. Heart valve disease

The valve is located at the exit of all the four chambers of your heart and they keep the blood flowing through your heart. Example of heart valves are:-

Aortic stenosis: It slows down the speed your blood from heart to the rest of the body.
Mitral Valve insufficiency: Your mitral valve does not close tightly enough which causes blood to leak forward which leads to fluid backup in the lungs.
Mitral valve prolapse: Condition where your left upper and left lower chambers does not close right.

4. Congenital heart disease

This is a problem which occurs in one or more than one part of the heart or blood vessels and it happens before birth. On an average note around 1 in every 8,000 children suffer from this condition. Some of these children may have the symptoms during birth but some of them do not have any signs and symptoms till their childhood or adulthood.

There is no exact cause behind it but genes may play vital role in this, also it can happen if the baby is exposed to viral infections, drugs or alcohol even before the baby is born. 3MEDS, online pharmacy India suggests that the pregnant women should avoid exposure to all these.

5. Coronary Artery disease

This is generally referred as CAD, this is a condition when plaque builds up and hardens the arteries that provides your heart vital nutrients and oxygen. This hardening of arteries is also known as atherosclerosis.

6. Cardiomyopathies

This term is for disease of the heart muscle and they are simply sometimes called enlarged heart. People suffering from this condition have usually thick, big or stiff heart. Their heart doesn’t pumps the blood in a way as it should. If left untreated the condition may get worsen which can lead to heart failure and heart rhythms.

Outlook

Cardiovascular diseases should not be taken lightly since they are the leading cause of mortality globally. Accurate treatment for many of the symptoms are not available yet, only the symptoms can be managed. Hence, it is very important that Cardio vascular diseases should be considered properly and needs proper treatment and check-up. Be healthy be positive.