Heart disease: Overview
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About heart disease
Heart diseases and blood circulation conditions affect blood flow through the body, which include the heart and blood vessels to the:
- brain
- lungs
- kidneys
- other parts of your body
Conditions like high cholesterol and high blood pressure (hypertension) can lead to:
- stroke
- heart attack
- heart failure
- angina (chest pain)
- atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
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Types of heart disease
Coronary artery disease
Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in Canada and other industrialized countries. It’s also known as coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease. This disease can lead to a narrowing of the arteries due to plaque buildup (a mix of fats, calcium and cholesterol).
Peripheral vascular disease
The term peripheral vascular refers to blood vessels that are far from the heart. This disease affects your blood circulation, but it is mainly in the legs. People affected by (or diagnosed with) this condition usually experience pain in their calves, especially when walking.
High blood pressure may be the cause of this disease, but it can also be caused by:
- stress
- smoking
- high cholesterol
- injury or infection
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Heart failure
Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump blood as well as it should. As a result, the rest of the body doesn’t receive enough blood. This can happen because of damage to the heart muscle from:
- a heart attack
- too much alcohol
- high blood pressure
- heart muscle disease
Patients with heart failure usually have shortness of breath and swollen legs.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. Over time, the heart gets weaker and is less able to:
- pump blood through the body
- maintain a normal rhythm
Rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatic heart disease begins with a bacterial infection during childhood called rheumatic fever. It affects joints and heart valves.
The heart problems appear many years later. The type of treatment will vary depending on the type of damage to the heart.
Congenital heart disease
Some heart-related issues are considered congenital. Congenital means that you were born with the condition or disease.
The issue can be as simple as a small hole in the inside walls of the heart. But it can also be complex, affecting the way blood flows through the heart and lungs.
Some of these problems result in death if they’re not immediately corrected through surgery. Other problems can cause disability or require surgery in early childhood or later in life. Sometimes, you need many operations to treat the condition.