Clear definition of heart disease and terms related to heart disease conditions
Clear Definition Of Heart Disease And Terms Related To Heart Disease Conditions
- Introduction
- Quick View Of Complete Heart Disease List A-Z
- Which Is The Most Commonly Known Heart Disease Name?
- List Of Every Disease Related To Heart That Are Commonly Known
- Which Name Of Heart Disease Is Most Serious Among All Heart Disease Conditions?
- What Are The Common Tests To Check For Disease Of Heart?
Introduction
Despite the relatively high number of heart disease cases annually, most people are unaware of different types of heart diseases. This contributes to poor preparedness, resulting in possible complications and risk of adverse events. Here are details to help gain an understanding of different conditions along with a brief definition of heart disease. This will help in opting for screening and seeking timely treatment, for better outcomes.
Quick View Of Complete Heart Disease List A-Z
As part of a better understanding of definition of heart disease here’s a quick look at various types of heart diseases displayed alphabetically.
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Aortic Stenosis
- Arrhythmia
- Arteriosclerosis
- Brugada Syndrome
- Cardiomyopathy
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Chronic Heart Failure
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Double Outlet Right Ventricle
- Endocarditis
- Eisenmenger Syndrome
- Familial Hypercholesterolemia
- Group A Streptococcus Infections
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Heart Failure
- Heart Valve Disease
- Ischemic Heart Disease
- Infective Endocarditis
- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Myocarditis
- Non-ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Peripheral Artery Disease
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Right Heart Failure
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Transposition of the Great Arteries
- Unstable Angina
- Valvular Heart Disease
Which Is The Most Commonly Known Heart Disease Name?
With the alphabetically sorted list of heart diseases displayed above, it is time to focus on the most commonly known heart disease. Coronary Artery Disease also known as ischemic heart disease, is regarded as one of the most common heart diseases.
CAD is due to the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, with symptoms like pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, and fatigue. This can cause heart attacks when the blood flow is fully blocked. It is regarded as the leading cause of heart attacks and most individuals are most familiar with CAD.
List of every disease related to heart that are commonly known
As part of a detailed definition of heart disease conditions, let us now look at other commonly known heart-related diseases. This is apart from CAD, outlined above.
- Heart failure – refers to the inability of the heart to pump blood causing symptoms such as fatigue and buildup of fluid.
- Arrhythmias – refers to abnormal heart rhythms that affect blood flow.
- Heart valve disease – is due to damage or defects in the heart valve or valves, causing narrowing or regurgitation.
- Myocardial infarction – this is commonly known as a heart attack, and occurs when there is blockage of blood flow to the heart.
- Congenital heart defects – refer to heart problems at birth that result in structural abnormalities or functional issues affecting flow of blood through the heart.
- Rheumatic heart disease – is due to damaged heart valves from rheumatic fever.
Other conditions are listed in the first section and the respective severity depends on the category and condition.
Which Name Of Heart Disease Is Most Serious Among All Heart Disease Conditions?
As outlined earlier, seriousness of heart disease depends on different factors or combination of factors. However, Coronary Artery Disease has the distinction of being regarded as the most serious forms of heart disease. This is because of its potential to cause life-threatening conditions:
CAD is the major cause of heart attacks, with possible damage or death of heart muscle. It has one of the higher mortality rates, and is one of the leading causes of death globally. As seen in the definition of heart disease CAD progresses silently over many years. Most patients are unaware of being affected by CAD, till occurrence of an adverse event.
Gradually the heart weakens as a result of reduced blood flow, causing heart failure. This condition occurs when the heart does not pump sufficient blood as required. Other serious conditions include heart failure, arrhythmias, aortic aneurysm, and rheumatic heart disease.
What Are The Common Tests To Check For Disease Of Heart?
With the definition of heart disease and serious conditions outlined above, let us understand more about tests. Various tests are used to diagnose heart disease and to evaluate heart health, including the following:
- Electrocardiogram – to measure the electrical activity of the heart, and detect arrhythmias, heart enlargement, and earlier occurrences of heart attacks.
- Echocardiogram – is an ultrasound of the heart that visualizes the heart’s structure and function.
- Stress test – assesses the performance of the heart during physical stress. This is used to identify coronary artery disease and also to determine the capacity of the person to take part in exercises.
- Chest X-ray – visualizes the heart and lungs, displaying the size of the heart and possible fluid buildup in the lungs.
- Cardiac catheterization – is used to picturize flow of blood and identify blockages in the coronary arteries.
- Blood tests – measure various levels ad vital signs, like cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammation. This helps to evaluate risk of heart disease and detect heart damage.
- Holter monitor – is used to detect arrhythmias, through assessments carried out over a day or two days. The device is essentially a portable ECG device to monitor heart rhythms.
- CT scan – offers detailed images of the heart’s structures and helps look for signs of coronary artery disease. This is by visualizing blood vessels and identifying blockages.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging – offers detailed images of the heart and structures to assess heart function, scarring, and congenital heart defects.
- Ankle-Brachial Index – is a test to compare blood pressure levels in the ankle and the arm. This comparison can help indicate peripheral artery disease, related to heart disease.
Advanced genetic testing facilities, presently available in Tamilnadu, also help in identifying inherited conditions and congenital defects. These tests help in clearly pinpointing future risk or lifetime risk of heart diseases and conditions due to genetic reasons. For instance, a person may have inherited risk of hypertension, or cholesterol. Similarly, a person may have congenital defects that were not detected during childbirth.
The tests involve analyzing samples of blood or saliva to look for genetic components of heart disease. Based on the findings, the patient is recommended treatment by consulting specialist cardiologists.
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Shetty B s a cardiologist in Chennai, with extensive experience in the field. He completed his MBBS from Madurai Kamaraj University, followed by an MD in General Medicine and a DM in Cardiology from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU).