Cardiovascular disease - Vitality Health Center

What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. It is an umbrella term that encompasses diseases affecting the circulatory system, including the blood vessels, arteries, capillaries, and veins that carry blood from the heart to organs and tissues all over the body.

Some major types of cardiovascular disease include:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) - damage or disease in the heart's major blood vessels that can cause a heart attack
• Cerebrovascular disease - disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain that can lead to stroke
• Peripheral arterial disease - narrowing of blood vessels outside the heart, usually arms or legs
• Rheumatic heart disease - damage to heart valves from rheumatic fever caused by untreated strep throat infection
• Congenital heart disease - malformations in heart structure from birth

What causes cardiovascular disease?

There are various risk factors that contribute to developing CVD like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use, and family history. Many cases occur from years of buildup of fatty plaques in arteries restrict blood flow (atherosclerosis).

What are the symptoms and complications?

• Chest pain, tightness, pressure, or discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Pain, numbness, weakness, or coldness in legs or arms (claudication)
• Pain in neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen, or back
• Lightheadedness, dizziness
• Palpitations or fluttering in chest
• Swelling of feet, ankles, legs

If untreated, CVD complications can be disabling or fatal - heart attack, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death.

How is cardiovascular disease treated and managed?

• Medications - beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, statins, antiplatelets, anticoagulants
• Medical procedures - angioplasty, stent placement, bypass surgery
• Lifestyle changes - healthy diet, regular exercise, stopping smoking, maintaining healthy weight

Early screening tests like EKG, stress test, CT scan, or cardiac catheterization can check for blockages. Controlling risk factors is key to preventing the progression of CVD.

I tried to cover the main aspects of cardiovascular disease in this overview. If you have any other specific questions, you can consult with the professionals at Vitality Health Center.