Heart Disease & Stroke

Heart Disease

Heart Disease Quick Facts

The blanket term ‘heart disease’ refers to several types of heart conditions, each of which has its own treatment and symptoms. In general, heart disease refers to any disorder that affects the heart, its vessels, muscles, valves, or internal electric pathways responsible for muscular contraction.

Common forms of Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
With CAD, blockages may form in the coronary arteries, which supply blood to your heart. This can lead to chest pains (angina) or a heart attack.

Heart arrhythmia
This is when your heart has an irregular beating pattern. Serious arrhythmias sometimes develop on their own, but more commonly stem from other heart problems.

Heart failure
This is when your heart doesn’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs, and is usually caused by CAD. It can also stem from thyroid disease, high blood pressure, heart muscle disease and some other conditions.

Heart valve disease
An abnormality may make it hard for a valve to open and close properly, leading to heart valve disease. This can cause blocked blood flow and blood leakage. Heart valve diseases include endocarditis, an infection usually caused by bacteria, and rheumatic heart disease, a condition that arises when your heart is damaged by rheumatic fever.

Pericardial disease
This is any disease affecting your pericardium, the sac
that surrounds your heart. This is usually caused by a viral infection, an inflammatory disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, or a pericardial injury.

Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease)
With cardiomyopathy, your heart muscle can get stretched, thickened or stiff, preventing it from properly pumping blood. This disease has many possible causes, and doctors are often unable to find the exact cause.

Congenital heart disease
This occurs when something goes wrong while a baby’s heart is still forming in the womb. While this can lead to problems immediately after birth, symptoms sometimes only show as an adult.

General symptoms of heart disease

Chest pain or discomfort

Upper back or neck pain

Indigestion

Heartburn

Nausea or vomiting

Extreme fatigue

Upper body discomfort

Dizziness

Swelling of the feet, ankles or legs

Swelling of the abdomen

Swelling of neck veins

Heart disease risk factors

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

High cholesterol

Smoking

Diabetes

Being overweight / obese

An unhealthy diet

Physical inactivity

Excessive alcohol use

Depending on the type of heart disease you have, treatments range from various medications to invasive surgery. However, many lifestyle choices can reduce your risk and improve your health, such as eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising often, quitting smoking, reducing stress and avoiding alcohol.

Stroke

Stroke Quick Facts

A stroke occurs due to a decrease or blockage in the brain’s blood supply. A person experiencing a stroke needs immediate emergency treatment.

Common forms of Strokes

Ischemic stroke
This is the most common type of stroke, making up 87% of all cases, and occurs when a blood clot prevents blood and oxygen from reaching an area of the brain.

Haemorrhagic stroke
This occurs when a blood vessel ruptures. These are usually the result of aneurysms or arteriovenous
malformations (AVMs).

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
A TIA occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is inadequate for a brief period of time. Normal blood flow resumes after a short amount of time, and the symptoms resolve without treatment. Some people call this a ministroke.