Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular disease is often referred to as heart disease, but as we previously noted, cardiovascular conditions are a bit more nuanced than that. According to the CDC, heart disease causes one in four deaths in the U.S. The most common cardiovascular diseases include:

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Hypertension (or in layman’s terms, high blood pressure) isn’t technically classified as a health condition or disease, but it’s such a major risk factor for poor cardiovascular health that we’d be remiss not to include it⁵. When your blood pressure—the pressure of blood against the walls of your arteries—is chronically high, your heart has to work really hard to keep blood pumping well.

Healthy blood pressure is considered having a systolic pressure of less than 120 (the pressure in your arteries during a heartbeat) and a diastolic pressure of less than 80 (the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats), per the CDC. High blood pressure doesn’t usually cause symptoms unless it has led to other cardiovascular conditions like the ones below.

Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in the U.S, according to the CDC. This happens when plaque—which is made up of substances like cholesterol, fat, and waste—builds up in the artery walls. This can lead to narrowing of the arteries over time, which interferes with healthy blood flow or blocks the movement of blood entirely (medically known as atherosclerosis). Coronary artery disease can cause symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and light-headedness and lead to life-threatening conditions like heart attack.

Heart attack

A heart attack, medically known as a myocardial infarction, happens when part of the heart doesn’t receive a sufficient amount of blood. Coronary artery disease is usually the cause of a heart attack, which can create symptoms like chest pain; weakness; jaw, neck, or back pain; arm or shoulder pain; and shortness of breath. Heart attack pain can come and go, and often feels like you have a lot of pressure, squeezing, or fullness in your chest, according to the CDC. A heart attack is a serious condition and requires urgent medical care to minimize damage to the heart muscle.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is an umbrella term for various conditions that can impact the heart muscle. In cardiomyopathy, the heart can become stiff, thick, thin, or full of excess fluid. This can happen due to various factors, such as genetics, infections, long-term alcohol misuse, other health conditions like an autoimmune disease. Some people also get cardiomyopathy for no apparent reason. You may experience symptoms like an irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, or fatigue, but some people don’t have any symptoms at all.

Deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) develops when you get a blood clot in a deep vein, typically in a leg. Someone with DVT may experience symptoms like leg swelling, redness, and pain, but they could also have no symptoms at all. DVT can happen due to medical conditions such as heart disease or if you sit for prolonged periods of time (typically four or more hours), according to the CDC. In serious cases, DVT can lead to pulmonary embolism, which is when a blood clot gets stuck in the lungs and obstructs blood flow. This can cause permanent lung damage or even be fatal if it’s not treated.

Heart failure

With heart failure, your heart cannot meet the demands of the body, whether due to reduced pumping function or inability to fill appropriately, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Heart failure symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on whether the condition is acute or chronic and which stage it is in. Generally, heart failure is caused by another cardiovascular condition or risk factors like coronary artery disease or high blood pressure.

Stroke

A stroke occurs when something—a blood clot, for example—stops the flow of blood to your brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, according to the CDC. There are different types of stroke, but generally symptoms include sudden numbness, confusion, vision problems, trouble walking, or severe headache. A stroke requires emergency medical care because of how quickly your brain cells can die and cause permanent damage.

Congenital heart disease

This is a form of heart disease that you’re born with (for example, having holes in the walls of your heart) that can make it hard to breathe or cause swelling in parts of your body such as your arms, according to the CDC. There are numerous types of congenital heart disease, so treatment and symptoms depend on the specific condition. The causes aren’t always understood, but experts believe that heart defects can develop due to genetic changes or environmental changes due to the mother’s overall health and lifestyle habits. However, there are many treatments for congenital heart disease, including surgery, that can help infants go on to lead healthy, active adult lives.

Back to top

Symptoms can vary from condition to condition. In fact, some people may have an issue with their cardiovascular health and not notice any signs of a problem at all. That said, there are some common symptoms that you might generally experience due to heart disease, according to the CDC:

• Chest tightness or discomfort in your upper body
• Feeling short of breath even when you’re not overexerting yourself
• Being extremely fatigued for no apparent reason
• Feeling lightheaded
• Swelling in your feet, ankles, or abdomen
• Feeling lightheaded, weak, or faint
• Unexplained pain in the jaw, neck, back, or arms

Back to top

Each cardiovascular condition has its own criteria that cardiologists refer to for a diagnosis. Generally, if you have any symptoms that allude to cardiovascular disease, your doctor will likely do a physical exam to listen to your breathing and heartbeat, ask about your symptoms, health history, and run some tests. These tests can include the following:

• Blood tests are used to measure substances that can impact your cardiovascular health, such as your cholesterol levels.
• An electrocardiogram/EKG measures electrical activity in your heart to help doctors learn about your heart, including whether there’s evidence of abnormal rhythms, heart enlargement, or any prior heart attacks.
• Heart rate monitors can be used at home to help you identify heart rhythm problems.
• Cardiac MRI produces images of your heart so your doctor can see if you have any tumors, structural problems, or damage from prior heart attacks.
• An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of your heart, so your doctor can see if there are structural problems in your heart and if your blood flows as it should.
• A stress test determines how the heart responds to activities such as exercise.

Back to top

Most cardiovascular diseases are chronic conditions, meaning there are no cures. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t live a long, enjoyable life if you are diagnosed with one. There are so many treatments and lifestyle modifications that can help you enjoy a higher quality of life, depending on your specific condition. For example, lowering your blood pressure with the help of medication or diet and exercise changes can help partially reverse the progression of many of the conditions mentioned above, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Back to top

There isn’t a surefire way to prevent the development of any health condition, but there are lifestyle changes you can make to take care of your cardiovascular health, according to the CDC:

• Stay active by getting at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise per week, such as biking, jogging, or dancing.
• Work with your doctor to determine what a healthy weight looks like for you as an individual. People with a weight that’s medically considered obese are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. One reason for this is that having more body fat is associated with increasing your chances of developing other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure⁶.
• Stop smoking or using other tobacco products if you already do.
• Eat nutritious foods, such as those in the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean proteins like fish. Numerous studies show the Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease⁷.
• Drink alcohol in moderation, which means having no more than two drinks per day for people assigned male at birth and no more than one drink per day for people assigned female at birth.
• Schedule an annual physical so you’re staying up-to-date on any markers that could signal heart disease in the future, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar.
• Try to keep your stress levels as low as possible in a way that feels good to you.

Overall, your cardiovascular health is an important part of your health as a whole—taking the time to take care of your heart now will keep you feeling like your best self for years to come.

Back to top

Sources:

1. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, How Does the Blood Circulatory System Work?
2. Biomaterials, Artificial Organs, and Tissue Engineering, The Cardiovascular System
3. InformedHealth.org, What Does Blood Do?
4. StatPearls, Anatomy, Arteries
5. Pharmacological Research, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk: General Aspects
6. Circulation, Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
7. PLOS One, Effects of the Mediterranean Diet on Cardiovascular Outcomes—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis