Heart disease is an umbrella term for any type of disorder that affects the heart. Heart disease means the same as cardiac disease but not cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease refers to disorders of the blood vessels and heart, while heart disease refers to just the heart.
If you're like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for other folks. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself.
You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by taking steps to control factors that put you at greater risk:
- Control your blood pressure
- Lower your cholesterol
- Don't smoke
- Get enough exercise
The heart is the center of the cardiovascular system. Through the body's blood vessels, the heart pumps blood to all of the body's cells. The blood carries oxygen, which the cells need. Cardiovascular disease is a group of problems that occur when the heart and blood vessels aren't working the way they should.
Some of the problems that go along with cardiovascular disease:
- Arteriosclerosis - also called hardening of the arteries, arteriosclerosis means the arteries become thickened and are no longer as flexible.
- Atherosclerosis - a buildup of cholesterol and fat that makes the arteries narrower so less blood can flow through. Those buildups are called plaque.
- Angina - people with angina feel a pain in the chest that means the heart isn't getting enough blood.
- Heart attack - when a blood clot or other blockage cuts blood flow to a part of the heart.
- Stroke - when part of the brain doesn't get enough blood due to a clot or a burst blood vessel.
