A Visual Guide to Heart Disease

View the Heart Disease Slideshow A Visual Guide to Heart Disease Medical Illustrations of the Heart Image Collection Take the Heart Disease Quiz! Related Diseases Images & Quizzes Index A Visual Guide to Heart Disease Medical Illustrations of the Heart Image Collection Take the Heart Disease Quiz! Heart Disease FAQs Find a local Cardiologist in your town Heart (cardiovascular) disease definition and facts What is heart (cardiovascular) disease? Who is at risk for heart (cardiovascular) disease? What are the signs and symptoms of heart (cardiovascular) disease? What causes heart (cardiovascular) disease? How is heart (cardiovascular) disease diagnosed? What is the treatment for heart (cardiovascular) disease? What lifestyle changes can a person make to prevent further heart disease or heart attack? What is the medical treatment for heart (cardiovascular) disease? How many people have heart (cardiovascular) disease, and what is the prognosis? Can cardiovascular disease be prevented? Heart (cardiovascular) disease definition and facts Heart disease refers to various types of conditions that can affect heart function. These types include: Coronary artery (atherosclerotic) heart disease that affects the arteries to the heart Valvular heart disease that affects how the valves function to regulate blood flow in and out of the heart Cardiomyopathy that affects how the heart muscle squeezes Heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) that affect the electrical conduction Heart infections where the heart has structural problems that develop before birth Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in the US. Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle and coronary artery disease occurs when there is a buildup of cholesterol plaque inside the artery walls. Over time, this buildup of plaque may partially block the artery and decrease blood flow through it. A heart attack occurs when a plaque ruptures and forms a clot in the artery causing a complete blockage. That part of the heart muscle that is denied blood supply starts to die. Classic signs and symptoms of coronary heart disease may include: Chest pain (angina) - This pain may radiate or move to the arm, neck or back. Shortness of breath Sweating Nausea . . Irregular heartbeat Not all people with coronary artery disease have chest pain as a symptom. Some may have signs and symptoms of indigestion, or exercise intolerance where they cannot perform activities that they normally once could. Coronary heart disease is initially diagnosed by patient history and physical examination. EKG blood tests, and tests to image the arteries and heart muscle confirm the diagnosis. Treatment for coronary heart disease depends upon its severity. Many times lifestyle changes such as eating a heart healthy diet, exercising regularly, stopping smoking and controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes may limit the artery narrowing. In some people, surgery or other procedures might be needed. Quick Guide Heart Disease: Symptoms, Signs, and Causes Heart Disease: Symptoms, Signs, and Causes Heart Attack Symptoms and Signs in Women Women experience classic angina symptoms such as chest pain or pressure but more commonly, women experience: Chest tightness squeezing burning sense of discomfort While the pain often is described as coming from behind the chest bone, women are more likely than men to experience discomfort in the arms, neck, jaw, throat or back. Women often have a hard time determining where the pain is exactly coming from. The pain may be accompanied by nausea or indigestion sweating lightheadedness fatigue More about heart disease in women »

What is heart (cardiovascular) disease? The heart is like any other muscle in body. It needs an adequate blood supply to provide oxygen so that the muscle can contract and pump blood to the rest of the body. Not only does the heart pump blood to the rest of the body, it also pumps blood to itself via the coronary arteries. These arteries originate from the base of the aorta (the major blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood from the heart) and then branch out along the surface of the heart. When one or more coronary arteries narrow, it may make it difficult for adequate blood to reach the heart, especially during exercise. This can cause the heart muscle to ache like any other muscle in the body. Should the arteries continue to narrow, it may take less activity to stress the heart and provoke symptoms. The classic symptoms of chest pain or pressure and shortness of breath due to atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) or coronary artery disease (CAD) are called angina. Should one of the coronary arteries become completely blocked -- usually due to a plaque that ruptures and causes a blood clot to form -- blood supply to part of the heart may be lost. This causes a piece of heart muscle to die. This is called a heart attack or myocardial infarction (myo=muscle + cardia=heart + infarction= tissue dea