The 7 most common types of cardiovascular diseases

According to the World Health Organization (2017), cardiovascular diseases are a set of disorders of the heart and blood vessels which is currently the leading cause of death around the world. These diseases cause a higher number of deaths in low-income countries (at least three-quarters of deaths).

In this article we will see what are the 7 most common types of cardiovascular diseases, as well as its main symptoms and risk factors.

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How are cardiovascular diseases defined?

Cardiovascular diseases, also known as "heart disease," are defined as a group of disorders that affect the cardiovascular system. The latter is responsible for transporting blood from the heart to the circuit of elastic tubes that we know as blood vessels; which includes different types of veins, arteries, arterioles and capillaries.

They can start in different parts of the cardiovascular system. That is to say, they can manifest directly in the heart (cardiac type) or they can be peripheral

, which means that they occur in the surrounding organs. Likewise, cardiovascular diseases can occur only once, or they can develop chronically. Therefore, cardiovascular diseases have been divided into several types.

7 types of cardiovascular diseases and their symptoms

In general, the pathological activity of the blood vessels and of the heart does not present previous symptoms, even when the disease has begun its development. That is, cardiovascular disease may have asymptomatic phases. For the same reason, they are usually visible until an attack to the heart, brain, or nearby organs is occurring.

General symptoms of the latter are persistent pain in the chest, arms, left shoulder, jaw, or back (these two are more common in women). These pains may be accompanied by breathing difficulties (dyspnea), nausea, or vomiting.

Following the data provided by the World Health Organization (2018) we will describe below the 7 main types of diseases cardiovascular: arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathies.

1. Arterial hypertension

High blood pressure, also known as high blood pressure, It occurs when the pressure levels mark a minimum of 140 mmHg of systolic pressure; or 90 mmHg diastolic pressure.

The above values ​​are indicators that the blood is not traveling through the vessels properly and smoothly, which can lead to a heart attack. Some symptoms are headaches, dizziness or vertigo, redness, vision and hearing disturbances, among others.

However, as we have said before, many people have no signs or symptoms, until they translate into a medical complication. Hypertension is considered a type of chronic cardiovascular disease, which is also an important precursor to other more serious cardiovascular diseases or accidents.

2. Coronary cardiopathy

It is also known as a myocardial infarction. In this case the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart are affected. It is characterized by a narrowing of the latter, which prevents enough blood and oxygen from reaching the muscle pump.

The narrowing of the blood vessels is generally caused by hardening of the arteries, such as consequence of the accumulation of fatty material and other substances. Symptoms include severe chest discomfort, pain that occurs with significant physical or emotional activities, a feeling of heaviness, and fatigue.

3. Cerebrovascular disease

In this case, the vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the brain are also affected. It can cause permanent or momentary effects on the brain.

When the disease occurs suddenly, it can also be called stroke and is generally caused by intracerebral bleeding or by a blood clot deposited in the brain. Depending on the specific area, it can cause blindness, vertigo, ataxia, visual disturbances, amnesia, dysphagia, urinary incontinence, mutism, hemiplegia, aphasia, among other manifestations related to brain activity.

Cardiovascular diseases can cause cerebrovascular accidents (stroke or cerebral infarcts), which consist of the interruption of blood flow and oxygen traveling to the brain as a consequence of the loss of tissue in the latter. Along with coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease is the one that causes the highest number of deaths around the world.

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4. Heart failure

Heart failure is characterized by a difficulty in the muscle pump (the heart) to pump blood on a regular basis. It is also known as congestive heart failure.. Symptoms of heart failure include tachycardia, heart murmurs, and dyspnea (trouble breathing). Likewise, heart failure can be caused by other diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes or obesity.

This disease is divided into different types according to their particular characteristics. For example, it can manifest as an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that mainly generates dyspnea; or in the abdomen, which causes fluid retention and swelling. In the specific case of the heart, it can occur due to lack of contraction of the left ventricle, or due to lack of filling of the same.

5. Rheumatic heart disease

Rheumatic heart disease is caused by the inflammation that causes rheumatic fever (a pathological response of the body to infections caused by streptococcal bacteria). The main characteristic of rheumatic heart disease is the existence of a lesion of the heart valves and the myocardium. In other words, it is manifested by lesions in the heart valves, which arise as a consequence of the scars caused by rheumatic fever. The latter, rheumatic fever, is especially common in children who live in highly poor areas.

Its main symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, constant fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and fainting.

6. Congenital heart disease

The main characteristic of congenital heart disease, as its name implies, is the existence of heart malformations that appear from birth. It can be cyanotic or non-cyanotic, depending on whether it also manifests with a lack of oxygen. The symptoms of heart disease vary depending on the development of the same disease. Some of the congenital conditions that can be accompanied by heart disease are Down syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, Turner Syndrome, Trisomy 12, among others.

7. Cardiomyopathies

Cardiomyopathies are acquired diseases that occur directly in the heart, which is also known as cardiac muscle or myocardium. They can be caused by a difficulty in contractions or relaxations, which prevents the heart from pumping blood adequately.

This difficulty is in turn a manifestation of the deterioration of the heart's function. For this reason, cardiomyopathies significantly increase the chances of suffering a myocardial infarction. Some of the most common cardiomyopathies are dilated, hypertrophic, and restrictive cardiomyopathy. The most common symptoms they are dyspnea, irregular palpitations, and heart failure.

8. Other types

Likewise, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are considered cardiovascular diseases. They consist of the formation of clots in the blood vessels of the leg veins, which easily break off and travel to the heart or lungs. Among its main symptoms are severe pain in one or both legs, as well as severe breathing difficulties and a high chance of having a heart attack.

Main risk factors

Risk factors are circumstances that increase the likelihood of developing a health problem. These are situations that can be detected even before signs and symptoms appear, which makes it possible to prevent the development of different conditions. In the case of cardiovascular diseases, some of the risk factors are high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, as well as previous cardiovascular diseases.

Among the risk factors related to habits and lifestyle, are the harmful consumption of tobacco and alcohol, lack of physical activity, an unbalanced diet. All of these are also considered "intermediate risk factors", since they can generate high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, overweight and obesity.

Prevention and treatment

Medical research on cardiovascular disease has shown that reducing a diet high in salt, consuming of fruits and vegetables, physical activity and reducing the consumption of tobacco and alcohol significantly reduce the risk of develop them. The latter together with the prescription of pharmacological treatments that help control hypertension, diabetes, blood clotting, or any of the possible causes.

in addition surgical intervention may be necessary that acts on coronary bypass or on clogged arteries; or even a heart transplant. Among the medical devices used to regulate the activity of the nervous system are substitutions valves to promote artificial respiration, pacemakers or some patches in the cavities of the heart.

Bibliographic references:

• World Health Organization (2018). Descriptive Note. Cardiovascular diseases. Retrieved July 3, 2018. Available in http://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds).
• World Health Organization (2018). Health issues. Cardiovascular diseases. Retrieved July 3, 2018. Available in http://www.who.int/topics/cardiovascular_diseases/es/.