7 most common types of cardiovascular diseases (and symptoms)

These are the most common health disorders affecting the cardiovascular system.

According to the World Health Organization (2017), cardiovascular diseases are a set of disorders of the heart and blood vessels that currently constitutes 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 look at what the 7 most common types of cardiovascular diseases areas well as their main symptoms and risk factors.

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 known as blood vessels, which include 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, meaning that they occur in the heart.which means that they occur in the surrounding organs. Likewise, cardiovascular diseases can occur on a single occasion, or they can develop chronically. Because of the above, cardiovascular diseases have been divided into several types.

7 types of cardiovascular diseases and their symptoms

As a rule, pathological activity of the blood vessels and the heart does not present prior symptoms, even when the disease has started to develop. That is, cardiovascular diseases can have asymptomatic may have asymptomatic phases. Therefore, they usually become visible until an attack on the heart, brain, or nearby organs is occurring.

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

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

Arterial hypertension

Arterial hypertension, also known as high blood pressureoccurs when Blood Pressure levels reach a minimum of 140 mmHg systolic pressure; or 90 mmHg diastolic pressure.

The above values are indicators that the blood is not traveling through the vessels in an adequate and fluid manner, which can lead to a heart attack. Some symptoms are headaches, dizziness or vertigo, redness, vision and hearing alterations, among others.

However, as mentioned above, many people have no signs or symptoms until they develop into a medical complication. Arterial hypertension is considered a type of chronic cardiovascular disease, which is also an important precursor of other more serious cardiovascular diseases or accidents.

2. Coronary heart disease

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

The narrowing of the blood vessels is usually caused by hardening of the arteries, as a result of the accumulation of material in the arteries. accumulation of fatty material and other substances.. Symptoms include severe chest discomfort, pain that occurs with significant physical or emotional activity, 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 affectations in the brain.

When the disease occurs suddenly, it can also be called apoplexy 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 alterations, amnesia, dysphagia, urinary incontinence, mutism, hemiplegia, aphasia, among other manifestations related to brain activity.

Cardiovascular diseases can cause cerebrovascular accidents (strokes or cerebral infarctions), which consist in the interruption of blood flow and oxygen traveling to the brain as a result of tissue loss in the brain. as a result of tissue loss in the brain. Together with coronary heart disease, cardiovascular diseases cause the greatest number of deaths worldwide.

4. Heart failure

Heart failure is characterized by a difficulty of the muscular pump (the heart) to pump blood regularly. It is also known as congestive heart failure.. Symptoms of heart failure include tachycardia, murmurs, and dyspnea (trouble breathing). Heart failure can also 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 itself as an accumulation of fluid in the lungs, which mainly generates dyspnea; or in the abdomen, which generates 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 left ventricle.

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 myocardium. In other words, it is manifested by lesions in the heart valves, which arise as a consequence of scarring caused by rheumatic fever. The latter, rheumatic fever, is especially common in children living in highly impoverished 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 are present 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 according to the development of the pathology itself.. 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 the heart muscle or myocardium. They may be caused by a difficulty in performing contractions or relaxations, which prevents the heart from pumping blood properly.

This difficulty is in turn a manifestation of the deterioration of the heart's function. Therefore, 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 are dyspnea symptoms are dyspnea, irregular palpitations and heart failure.

8. Other types

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are also 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 breathing difficulties and a high likelihood of a heart attack..

Main risk factors

Risk factors are circumstances that increase the likelihood of developing a health problem. They are situations that can be detected even before the signs and symptoms appear, thus preventing the development of different conditions. In the case of cardiovascular diseases, some of the risk factors are arterial hypertension, 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, and an unbalanced diet. All these are also considered "intermediate risk factors", as they can lead to high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, overweight and obesity.

Prevention and treatment

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

Also surgical intervention may be necessary which acts on coronary bypasses or obstructed arteries; or even cardiac transplantation. Medical devices used to regulate the activity of the nervous system include valve replacements to support artificial respiration, pacemakers or some patches in the heart chambers.

Bibliographic references:

• World Health Organization (2018). Descriptive Note. Cardiovascular diseases. Retrieved July 03, 2018. Available at http://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds).
• World Health Organization (2018). Health Topics. Cardiovascular diseases. Retrieved 03 July 2018. Available at http://www.who.int/topics/cardiovascular_diseases/es/.