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Heart disease is an umbrella term
Umbrella term

An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or wikt:grouping of related concepts, also called a hypernym.For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields....
 for a variety for different diseases affecting the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 and Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.
Types of heart disease
Coronary heart disease
Coronary artery disease is a disease of the artery caused by the accumulation of atheroma
Atheroma

In pathology, an atheroma is an accumulation and swelling in artery walls that is made up of cells , or cell debris, that contain lipids , calcium and a variable amount of fibrous connective tissue....
tous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium.






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Encyclopedia


Heart disease is an umbrella term
Umbrella term

An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or wikt:grouping of related concepts, also called a hypernym.For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields....
 for a variety for different diseases affecting the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 and Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.

Types of heart disease


Coronary heart disease


Coronary artery disease is a disease of the artery caused by the accumulation of atheroma
Atheroma

In pathology, an atheroma is an accumulation and swelling in artery walls that is made up of cells , or cell debris, that contain lipids , calcium and a variable amount of fibrous connective tissue....
tous plaques within the walls of the arteries that supply the myocardium. Angina pectoris (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the Blood flow to part of the heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of a coronary artery following the rupture of a Vulnerable plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids and white blood cells in the wall of an artery....
 are symptoms of and conditions caused by coronary heart disease.

Over 459,000 Americans die of coronary heart disease every year. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, 101,000 deaths annually are due to coronary heart disease.

Cardiomyopathy


Cardiomyopathy literally means "heart muscle disease" (Myo= muscle, pathy= disease) It is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium (i.e., the actual heart muscle) for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac death
Sudden Cardiac Death

The term sudden cardiac death refers to natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms....
.
  • Extrinsic cardiomyopathies - cardiomyopathies where the primary pathology
    Pathology

    Pathology is the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of Organ , tissue , bodily fluids and whole bodies . The term also encompasses the related science study of disease processes, called General pathology....
     is outside the myocardium itself. Most cardiomyopathies are extrinsic, because by far the most common cause of a cardiomyopathy is ischemia
    Ischemia

    In medicine, ischemia is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue....
    . The World Health Organization
    World Health Organization

    The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health....
     calls these specific cardiomyopathies:
    • Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
      Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

      Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the chronic long-term abuse of alcohol leads to heart failure. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a type of dilated cardiomyopathy....
    • Coronary artery disease
    • Congenital heart disease - see below
    • Nutritional diseases affecting the heart
    • Ischemic (or ischaemic) cardiomyopathy
    • Hypertensive cardiomyopathy
    • Valvular cardiomyopathy - see also Valvular heart disease below
    • Inflammatory cardiomyopathy - see also Inflammatory heart disease below
    • Cardiomyopathy secondary to a systemic metabolic disease
  • Intrinsic cardiomyopathies - weakness in the muscle of the heart that is not due to an identifiable external cause.
    • Dilated cardiomyopathy
      Dilated cardiomyopathy

      Dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM, also known as congestive cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged, and cannot pump blood efficiently....
       (DCM) - most common form, and one of the leading indications for heart transplantation
      Heart transplantation

      HistoryThe first heart transplant involving a human was carried out by a team led by Dr James D Hardy on the of 23 of January 1964 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, when the heart of a chimpanzee was transplanted into the chest of a dying man....
      . In DCM the heart (especially the left ventricle
      Left ventricle

      The left ventricle is one of four heart chamber in the human heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium via the mitral valve, and pumps it into the aorta via the aortic valve....
      ) is enlarged and the pumping function is diminished.
    • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
      Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

      Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, HCM or HOCM, is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is left ventricular hypertrophy without any obvious cause....
       (HCM or HOCM) - genetic disorder
      Genetic disorder

      A genetic disorder is an illness caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes. While some diseases, such as cancer, are due in part to a genetic disorders, they can also be caused by Environment factors....
       caused by various mutation
      Mutation

      In biology, mutations are changes to the nucleotide sequence of the genetic material of an organism. Mutations can be caused by copying errors in the genetic material during cell division, by exposure to ultraviolet or ionizing radiation, chemical mutagens, or virus , or can be induced by the organism, itself, by cellular processes such as s...
      s in genes encoding sarcomeric
      Sarcomere

      "A-band" redirects here. For other uses of the term see A band.A sarcomere is the basic unit of a muscle's cross-striated myofibril. Sarcomeres are multi-protein complexes composed of three different filament systems....
       proteins. In HCM the heart muscle is thickened, which can obstruct blood flow and prevent the heart from functioning properly.
    • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) - arises from an electrical disturbance of the heart in which heart muscle is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. The right ventricle
      Right ventricle

      The right ventricle is one of four heart chamber in the human heart. It receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium via the tricuspid valve, and pumps it into the pulmonary artery via the pulmonary valve and pulmonary trunk....
       is generally most affected.
    • Restrictive cardiomyopathy
      Restrictive cardiomyopathy

      Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a form of cardiomyopathy in which the walls are rigid, and the heart is restricted from stretching and filling with blood properly....
       (RCM) - least common cardiomyopathy. The walls of the ventricles are stiff, but may not be thickened, and resist the normal filling of the heart with blood. ** Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy
      Noncompaction cardiomyopathy

      Non-compaction cardiomyopathy , also called spongiform cardiomyopathy, is a rare Congenital disorder cardiomyopathy that affects both children and adults....
       - the left ventricle wall has failed to properly grow from birth and such has a spongy appearance when viewed during an echocardiogram.


Cardiovascular disease


Cardiovascular disease is any of a number of specific diseases that affect the heart itself and/or the blood vessel system, especially the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart. Research on disease dimorphism suggests that women who suffer with cardiovascular disease usually suffer from forms that affect the blood vessels while men usually suffer from forms that affect the heart muscle itself. Known or associated causes of cardiovascular disease include diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus , often referred to simply as diabetes , is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of genetic disorder and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels ....
, hypertension
Hypertension

Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated....
, hyperhomocysteinemia
Hyperhomocysteinemia

Hyperhomocysteinemia is a medical condition characterized by an abnormally large level of homocysteine in the blood.As a consequence of the biochemical reactions in which homocysteine is involved, deficiencies of the vitamins folic acid, Vitamin B6 , or cyanocobalamin can lead to high homocysteine levels....
 and hypercholesterolemia
Hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood . It is not a disease but a metabolism derangement that can be secondary to many diseases and can contribute to many forms of disease, most notably cardiovascular disease....
.

Types of cardiovascular disease include:
  • Atherosclerosis
    Atherosclerosis

    Atherosclerosis is a syndrome affecting artery blood vessels. It is a chronic inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, in large part due to the accumulation of macrophage white blood cells and promoted by low density lipoproteins without adequate removal of fats and cholesterol from the macrophages by functional high density lipoprot...


Ischaemic heart disease

  • Ischaemic heart disease
    Ischaemic heart disease

    Ischaemic or ischemic heart disease , or myocardial ischaemia, is a disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the myocardium, usually due to Coronary heart disease ....
     - another disease of the heart itself, characterized by reduced blood supply to the organs.


Heart failure


Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure (or CHF), and congestive cardiac failure (CCF), is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
 to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
 throughout the body. Therefore leading to the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
 and body's failure.
  • Cor pulmonale
    Cor pulmonale

    Cor pulmonale or pulmonary heart disease is a change in structure and function of the right ventricle of the heart as a result of a Respiratory system disorder....
    , a failure of the right side of the heart.


Hypertensive heart disease


Hypertensive heart disease is heart disease caused by high blood pressure, especially localised high blood pressure. Conditions that can be caused by hypertensive heart disease include:
  • Left ventricular hypertrophy
    Left ventricular hypertrophy

    Left ventricular hypertrophy is the thickening of the myocardium of the left ventricle of the heart....
  • Coronary heart disease
    Coronary heart disease

    Coronary artery disease is the end result of the accumulation of atheroma within the walls of the Coronary circulation that supply the myocardium with oxygen and nutrients....
  • (Congestive) heart failure
  • Hypertensive cardiomyopathy
  • Cardiac arrhythmias


Inflammatory heart disease

Inflammatory heart disease involves inflammation of the heart muscle and/or the tissue surrounding it.
  • Endocarditis
    Endocarditis

    Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures which may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendinae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices....
     - inflammation
    Inflammation

    Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
     of the inner layer of the heart
    Heart

    The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
    , the endocardium
    Endocardium

    The endocardium is the innermost layer of tissue that lines the chambers of the heart. Its Cell , embryology and biology, are similar to the endothelium cells that line blood vessels....
    . The most common structures involved are the heart valve
    Heart valve

    In anatomy, the heart valves maintain the unidirectional flow of blood in the heart by opening and closing depending on the difference in pressure on each side....
    s.
  • Inflammatory cardiomegaly
    Cardiomegaly

    Cardiomegaly is a medical condition wherein the heart is enlarged. It is generally categorized in the following manner:* Cardiomegaly due to Dilated cardiomyopathy...
  • Myocarditis
    Myocarditis

    In medicine , myocarditis is inflammation of the myocardium , the muscular part of the heart. It is generally due to infection . It may cause chest pain, rapid signs of heart failure, or sudden death....
     - inflammation
    Inflammation

    Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
     of the myocardium, the muscular part of the heart.

Valvular heart disease


Valvular heart disease is disease process that affects one or more valves
Heart valve

In anatomy, the heart valves maintain the unidirectional flow of blood in the heart by opening and closing depending on the difference in pressure on each side....
 of the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
. The valves in the right side of the heart are the tricuspid valve
Tricuspid valve

The tricuspid valve is on the right side of the heart, between the right atrium and the right ventricle. The normal tricuspid valve usually has three leaflets and three papillary muscles....
 and the pulmonic valve. The valves in the left side of the heart are the mitral valve
Mitral valve

The mitral valve is a dual-flap heart valve in the heart that lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle . The mitral valve and the tricuspid valve are known collectively as the atrioventricular valves because they lie between the atria and the ventricles of the heart and control the flow of blood....
 and the aortic valve
Aortic valve

The aortic valve is one of the heart valve of the heart. It lies between the left ventricle and the aorta....
.
  • Aortic valve stenosis
    Aortic valve stenosis

    Aortic valve stenosis is a valvular heart disease caused by the incomplete opening of the aortic valve.The aortic valve controls the direction of blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta....
  • Mitral valve prolapse
    Mitral valve prolapse

    Mitral valve prolapse is a valvular heart disease characterized by the displacement of an abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the atria of the heart during systole....
  • Valvular cardiomyopathy


See also

  • Aneurysm
    Aneurysm

    An aneurysm is a localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall.Aneurysms most commonly occur in artery at the base of the brain and in the aorta ....
    • Aortic aneurysm
      Aortic aneurysm

      An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling of the aorta, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location....
  • Diet and heart disease
    Diet and heart disease

    Diet is a significant contributing factor to the presence of heart disease, an umbrella term describing many heart ailments. For example, some claim a diet high in cholesterol may lead to coronary heart disease, a condition in which a buildup of plaque occurs in the arteries near the heart....
  • Endothelium-derived relaxing factor
    Endothelium-derived relaxing factor

    Endothelium-derived relaxing factor is produced and released by the endothelium that results in smooth muscle relaxation. The most well characterized is nitric oxide, and some older sources consider the two terms to be equivalent....
  • High blood pressure (Hypertension)
    Hypertension

    Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated....
  • Thrombosis
    Thrombosis

    Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel is injured, the body uses platelets and fibrin to form a blood clot, because the first step in repairing it is to prevent loss of blood....
  • Oral hygiene
    Oral hygiene

    Teeth cleaning is the removal of dental plaque from teeth, in order to prevent Dental caries , gingivitis, and Periodontal disease. It is part of a complete program of oral hygiene....
  • Pericarditis
    Pericarditis

    Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium . Pericarditis is further classified according to the composition of the inflammatory exudate: serous, purulent, fibrinous, caseous, and hemorrhagic types are distinguished....


External links

  • , Mary Zasadil, MD, speaks at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (2007)
  • - Information Resource on Heart Disease