What is heart disease?
The term heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, describes a number of different conditions that affect the ability of the heart and arteries to pump blood throughout your body. It can include conditions that block the flow of blood to the heart, problems with the heart muscle’s ability to pump, and problems with the circulation of blood to organs and limbs. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in men and women in the United States.
Heart disease includes a number of problems affecting the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. Types of heart disease include: • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type and is the leading cause of heart attacks. When you have CAD, your arteries become hard and narrow. Blood has a hard time getting to the heart, so the heart does not get all the blood it needs. CAD can lead to: • Angina (an-JEYE-nuh). Angina is chest pain or discomfort that happens when the heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest, but sometimes the pain is in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. It can also feel like indigestion (upset stomach). Angina is not a heart attack, but having angina means you are more likely to have a heart attack. • Heart attack. A heart attack occurs when an artery is severely or completely blocked, and the heart does not get the blood it needs for more than 20 minutes.
Heart disease includes a number of problems affecting the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. Types of heart disease include: • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type and is the leading cause of heart attacks. When you have CAD, your arteries become hard and narrow. Blood has a hard time getting to the heart, so the heart does not get all the blood it needs. CAD can lead to: • Angina (an-JEYE-nuh). Angina is chest pain or discomfort that happens when the heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest, but sometimes the pain is in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. It can also feel like indigestion (upset stomach). Angina is not a heart attack, but having angina means you are more likely to have a heart attack. • Heart attack. A heart attack occurs when an artery is severely or completely blocked, and the heart does not get the blood it needs for more than 20 minutes. • Heart failure occurs when the heart is
Heart disease is a number of abnormal conditions affecting the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. Types of heart disease include: • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type and is the leading cause of heart attacks. When you have CAD, your arteries become hard and narrow. Blood has a hard time getting to the heart, so the heart does not get all the blood it needs. CAD can lead to: Angina. Angina is chest pain or discomfort that happens when the heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest, but sometimes the pain is in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. It can also feel like indigestion (upset stomach). Angina is not a heart attack, but having angina means you are more likely to have a heart attack. • Angina. Angina is chest pain or discomfort that happens when the heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest, but sometimes the pain is in the shoulders, a
Heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease, is the number one cause of death in the United States. Heart disease occurs when the arteries in the heart become narrowed and blocked due to fatty buildup, known as arteriosclerosis. This blockage in the arteries decreases the amount of blood and oxygen that can get to the heart and other vital organs and can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
