Overview of Heart Health and Cardiovascular Disease

What is Cardiovascular Disease?

Cardiac and blood vessel diseases are a group of diseases that involve the heart and blood vessels. The common diseases are;
**Coronary artery disease**: The arteries supplying blood to the heart get narrowed or blocked due to the buildup of plaque inside the walls of the arteries known as atherosclerosis. This results in chest pain (angina) and heart attacks.
- Heart failure: Failure of the heart to pump enough blood into the body.
- Stroke: It can either be ischemic in origin due to blocked arteries resulting in a lack of supply of blood and oxygen or hemorrhagic caused by the rupture of blood vessels.
High Blood Pressure
Persistent high blood pressure puts more pressure on the heart as well as the blood vessels; other diseases of the heart eventually surface from that pressure
Peripheral artery disease
Artery narrowed decreases flow through the arteries towards limbs like limbs, mainly towards the leg. Most commonly observed is an ache or pain felt within arms and legs muscles on active action.
 
#### Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease