Heart Disease and Heart Defect Information

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. Almost 700,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. each year. That is about 29% of all U.S. deaths. Heart disease is a term that includes several more specific heart conditions. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack.

Other conditions that commonly affect the heart are heart failure also known as Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Heart failure is a long term, progressive condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood through the heart to keep up with your body's need for blood and oxygen. Essentially, your heart can't keep up with the work of pumping blood to your body.

The risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those adverse factors that put people at greater risk for heart disease and heart attack. Additionally, knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attack, calling 911 right away, and getting to a hospital are crucial to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack. People who have had a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of future events.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
CHD is the most common type of heart disease and is also known as ischemic heart disease. CHD occurs when the coronary arteries, that supply blood to the heart muscle, become hardened and narrowed due to the plaque buildup.

The plaque buildup and the narrowing and hardening of the arteries is called atherosclerosis. Plaques are a mixture of fatty substances including cholesterol and other lipids. Blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart can be reduced or even fully blocked with a growing plaque. Plaques may also rupture and cause blood clots that block arteries.

Coronary Heart Disease can lead to a heart attack. Angina can also occur. Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle is not getting enough blood. Over time, CHD can weaken the heart muscle and lead to heart failure, a serious problem where the heart cannot pump blood the way that it should. Also, irregular heart beats, called arrhythmias, can develop.

The most common symptom of Coronary Heart Disease is angina. In some people the first sign of CHD is a heart attack. Doctors can assess a patient's risk status by checking several factors, including blood pressure, blood cholesterol and glucose, history of heart disease, and other factors.

Doctors can perform several tests to assess CHD in patients who are at high risk or have symptoms. These heart tests usually involve a stress test or wearing a Holter monitor which measures and records your electrocardiogram (ECG) as outlined below.

These may include one or more of these tests:

ECG or EKG (electrocardiogram), which measures the electrical function and the rate and regularity of your heartbeat.

Echocardiogram, which creates a picture of the heart.

Exercise stress test, to measure how well the heart pumps at greater than usual workloads when it needs more oxygen.

Chest x-ray, a picture of the organs and structures inside the chest.

Cardiac catheterization, a thin, flexible tube is passed through an artery in the groin or arm to reach the coronary arteries. The tube lets your doctor check the inside of your arteries to see if there is any blockage. Your doctor also can measure the pressure and blood flow in the heart's chambers, collect blood samples from the heart, and examine the arteries of the heart by x-ray.

Coronary angiography, which is usually performed along with cardiac catheterization. A dye is injected through the catheter into the coronary arteries. The doctor can then take an x-ray to see the flow of blood through the heart and check for blockages.

Coronary Heart Disease Treatments
For persons with CHD, treatment will involve addressing those factors that put them at risk for CHD and heart attack. The doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to help reduce risk.

Medicines and medical treatments may be needed. Medicines are available to treat high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, irregular heart beats, blood flow, and other potential problems.

Some advanced treatments and surgical procedures may be used to help restore blood flow to the heart muscle.

In principle, all people can take steps to lower their personal risk of heart disease and heart attack by addressing their risk factors. People who already have heart disease especially need to control their risk factors.

Heart Attacks
A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction. If the blood supply to the heart is severely reduced or completely blocked, heart muscle cells may not receive enough oxygen and begin to die. The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart. This damage can cause irregular heart rhythms or even sudden cardiac arrest or stopping of the heart beat.

Death can result. Coronary artery disease is the chief underlying cause of a heart attack. A less common cause of a heart attack is a severe spasm of a coronary artery that reduces the blood supply to the heart.

When a person is having a heart attack, emergency care is needed that may include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), electrical shock (called defibrillation), and other advanced emergency medical care. Emergency medical personnel and doctors can quickly perform emergency treatment and transport the person to the hospital. Bystanders might also be trained to perform CPR and to use an automated external defibrillator, if one is available, until emergency medical personnel arrive.

Once at the hospital, doctors can perform several tests to quickly determine if the person is having or has had a heart attack and the best course of action to restore blood flow.

Because a heart attack is a medical emergency, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and to act immediately by calling 9-1-1. A person's chance of surviving a heart attack is increased the sooner emergency treatment is administered.

A heart attack survivor may have a damaged heart that affects the heart rhythm, pumping action, and blood circulation. This puts heart attack victims at greater risk of having another heart attack or other events such as a stroke, kidney problems, and peripheral arterial problems.

Cardiac rehabilitation is usually recommended for heart attack survivors after the emergency event has stabilized. Cardiac rehabilitation guides the patient to make changes that can help improve cardiovascular fitness and quality of life.

These changes may include dietary changes, physical activity, smoking cessation, and other issues such as medication schedules and stress management. Heart attack survivors should seek their doctor's advice about daily activities such as returning to work, driving, physical and sexual activity, and air travel.

Congenital Heart Defects

The term congenital heart defect means an abnormality of the heart that existed at birth. Congenital heart defects occur when either the heart or the blood vessels next to the heart don't develop normally prior to birth.

Today, if your child is born with a congenital heart defect, there is a very good chance that the defect can be overcome and that your child will be able to lead a normal life. With todays expertise, it is possible to fix most heart defects. The treatment for your child will depend on the type of heart defect. Usually, the treatment is either surgery or heart catherization.