Different Types of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease has become among the leading causes of death around the 
world. With unhealthy eating and lifestyle choices becoming more common, education 
about what kinds of diseases will become more important. Alternatively, there are a 
number of conditions that are genetic or inborn conditions. What are the primary 
cardiovascular diseases out there? This article will be covering this topic along with 
some broad descriptions and causes. 

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

The appearance of coronary artery disease is usually characterized by the hardening or 
shrinking of the pathways in coronary arteries. This create a sort of ease for the 
formation of blockages to the passage of blood to the heart. This condition is the most 
common cause of heart attack, and strokes. Leaving this process unchecked will 
undoubtedly end in death. 

Heart Attack

Heart attack is a broad term for anytime that blood traveling to the heart either is slowly 
greatly or cut off completely. It is also called myocardial infarction. The most common 
cause for heart attack is the buildup of arterial plaque that is formed by cholesterol that 
is floating freely in the blood that settles in areas where it can solidify into a mass which 
blocks the pathways and stop blood from flowing freely through. There have also been 
some cases where people are born with defects that cause them to have sudden heart 
attacks when older such as arteries that develop twisted.

Arrhythmia

This is simply a term for any sudden change to the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. The 
issue with this condition is that it is of an electrical nature rather than a physical one. 
What happens, is that electrical impulses that control the heartbeat begin to become 
confused, or out of order. When this takes place, the heart beats in an irregular fashion 
which can cause damage to other organs that require a steady flow of blood to function 
properly. 

Heart Failure

Isn’t the same as a heart attack in that instead of the heart stopping suddenly, the heart 
simply doesn’t pump enough blood for the body to function properly. When organs 
aren’t fed enough blood and oxygen, they can shut down resulting in a feeling of loss of 
breath. Some people can live with this for a period of time before realizing the 
seriousness of the symptoms, which usually manifest in the general form of fatigue. 

If you have risk factors for any of these cardiovascular diseases, it is important to seek 
out treatment right away. 


