If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately.
What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect your heart. Diseases under the heart disease umbrella include blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); and heart defects you’re born with (congenital heart defects), among others.
The term “heart disease” is often used interchangeably with the term “cardiovascular disease.”
Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as those that affect your heart’s muscle, valves or rhythm, also are considered forms of heart disease.
Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for developing heart disease include:
- Age
- Male gender
- Family history
- Smoking
- Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy for cancer
- Poor diet
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol levels
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Stress
- Poor hygiene
Signs and Symptoms
Cardiovascular disease symptoms may be different for men and women. Men are more likely to experience chest pain while women are more likely to have other symptoms along with chest discomfort, such as shortness of breath, nausea and extreme fatigue.
Symptoms can include:
- Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina)
- Shortness of breath
- Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms
- Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back
- Fluttering in your chest
- Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)
- Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Fainting (syncope) or near fainting