What is Heart Disease?

Since the year 2007, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 24.5% of total deaths. There were 349 reported deaths in Clay County in 2008 that were identified as being caused by heart disease. Over 12 million deaths worldwide each year can be attributed to heart disease, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, more than 60 million people are currently living with some form of heart disease. Causes of heart diseasecan be associated with genetic factors, lifestyle influences, or comormid conditions such as hypertension or high cholesterol. The term “heart disease” encompasses several conditions that affect cardiac health.
A prominent condition known as coronary heart disease refers to the failure of the coronary circulation to provide adequate bloodflow to cardiac muscle and surrounding tissues. Failure of circulation results from the narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. The main cause of coronary heart disease is atherosclerosis, which occurs when fatty material and plaque build up along the walls of the arteries and cause the arteries to narrow. Also known as coronary artery disease, it can sometimes present with little or only slightly noticeable symptoms. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort, or angina. Coronary heart disease is widespread and kills over 459,000 people in the United States each year. Coronary artery disease can be treated pharmacologically with medications that lower blood pressure and/or reduce the risk of having a heart attack by preventing the formation of blood clots in the coronary arteries. Surgery may be necessary for some patients with coronary heart disease. A common procedure is coronary artery bypass surgery, which bypasses the blood flow around the affected section of the artery.
Cardiomyopathy is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium, or the muscle of the heart. It is often associated with inadequate pumping of the heart. The causes of cardiomyopathy are often not specifically identified. Instead, efforts are aimed at treating the condition that most likely led to the cardiomyopathy, such as taking medications incorrectly or excessive alcohol consumption. There are various specific types of cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently. Another common type, restrictive cardiomyopathy, refers to conditions in which the chambers of the heart are unable to fill properly with blood because of abnormal stiffness of the heart. Cardiomyopathy is commonly caused by ischemia, or lack of blood flow to the heart, which can be correlated to alcoholism, diabetes, and hypertension, among other conditions.
Another well-known form of heart disease is cardiovascular disease, which refers to any of a number of specific diseases that affect the veins and arteries that make up the blood vessel system of the heart. Cardiovascular disease includes atherosclerosis and can be associated with diabetes and hypertension. Other cardiac diseases include inflammation of the heart muscle, hypertensive heart disease caused by high blood pressure, problems with the valves of the heart, and ischemic heart disease caused by reduced blood supply to the organs.
When the heart is unable to sufficiently supply enough blood flow to meet the needs of the body, the heart can experience congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure can result from any of the aforementioned cardiac diseases, and can be related to myocardial infarctions (heart attack) or to cardiac arrest, when there is no measureable cardiac output. Chronic heart failure has been linked to cigarette smoking, obesity, and diabetes. Congestive heart failure can be diagnosed with standard imaging techniques and can be managed. Management of congestive heart failure focuses on improving the symptoms and preventing progression. Pharmacological methods may be employed to help reduce mortality, and lifestyle modification is very common. Exercise is strongly encouraged and dietary guidelines are set to control salt and fluid intake. Congestive heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalizations among individuals over the age of 65, and should be treated promptly and efficiently.

References:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4595
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/haws/haws.htm
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/haws/women.htm
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-symptoms