Heart Diseases

Heart disease is a broad term used to refer to a range of conditions that affect your heart. It includes blood vessel diseases like coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problems or arrhythmias, congenital heart defects and dilated cardiomyopathy among ot

Angina — Angina
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Angina, known as angina pectoris, is used to describe chest pain or a feeling of tightness, heaviness and discomfort in the chest because of inadequate blood oxygen supply to heart muscles. The insufficient supply of oxygen is primarily attributed to the narrowing of arteries carrying blood to the heart (coronary arteries). It is the primary symptom of coronary heart disease and is commonly mistaken as an indigestion-related symptom. Angina often occurs when a person is under emotional or physical stress. Although pain is commonly felt in the chest, often pain in the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw, abdomen or back is experienced. There are different types of angina. Stable angina is the most common type of angina, which suggests the possibility of getting a heart attack in the near future. Unstable angina is severe compared to stable angina and requires emergency treatment. In this section, you will find articles, including the risk of a heart attack in night-shift workers; angioplasty and tips to keep your heart healthy.
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Dr. Sachin Shelke

Arrhythmia — Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is the term used for irregular heartbeat. With every heart beat (normal or irregular), an electrical signal or impulse travels through the heart muscles which causes them to contract. With every contraction, the heart pumps out blood which is circulated throughout the body. The heartbeat becomes irregular when this electrical impulse does not work properly. It causes the heart to either beat too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradychardia). Sometimes, the heart beat is neither fast nor slow but may still be inconsistent due to early contraction of heart muscles. Many a times arrhythmia does not cause any harm. Most of us occasionally experience irregular heartbeats. However, when the heart beat goes too far from a normal heartbeat and takes longer time to return to normal, it may have harmful effects. Such cases may result due to weak heart muscles or damage to the heart, and can also be life-threatening. Sometimes during arrhythmia, the heart may become incapable of pumping enough blood to the body. This can cause severe damage to the brain as well as other organs of the body. There are several reasons why the heart beat may become irregular. Conditions like diabetes, drug abuse, heart disease, stress, smoking and alcohol consumption, heart attack increases the likelihood of arrhythmia. For a healthy individual the normal heart rate varies between 60-100 beats per minute (while resting). The fitter you are, the better your heart will function.
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Arteriosclerosis — Arteriosclerosis

Preeti (name changed) has been experiencing chest pain since past few days but ignored it. Although not every chest pain indicates a heart attack, it can signify an underlying heart condition. With severe pain in legs while walking from few days, she visited a doctor to find out the exact cause of her condition. Her doctor revealed that she was suffering from a heart condition known as arteriosclerosis. Like her, most people tend to ignore common signs and symptoms of heart disease until late in its course. Here's what you need to know about arteriosclerosis. It is a condition that damages the inner layer of an artery, which ultimately increases your risk of coronary heart disease. Unlike atherosclerosis, this condition can be caused due to an inflammation of the arteries and cholesterol buildup in the blood vessels. With simple lifestyle modifications such as diet control, exercise and weight management, you can prevent arteriosclerosis.
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Atherosclerosis — Atherosclerosis
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Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the arteries get blocked because of the deposition of fatty substances, and abnormal cells on the walls of arteries. Though anyone can suffer from atherosclerosis, there are a few risk factors that put a person at a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis. A block in the arteries is actually caused by the narrowing and thickening of the walls of arteries because of the deposition of fatty substances such as cholesterol along with other cellular waste. The substances that get accumulated along the arteries form a build-up called plaque or atheroma. Plaques are primarily dangerous because they narrow the arteries, restrict the blood flow and can hinder the functioning of several organs. Moreover, plaques can rupture and result in a blood clot that again blocks the blood supply to the heart. These conditions either trigger a heart attack or a stroke affecting the brain. Atherosclerosis is a slow disease that takes really long time to progress and causes complications. In a few people, plaque formation may start during childhood and may advance rapidly during the 30s. In others, it does not really pose a threat until the 50s or 60s. With all advances in surgical and operative procedures, people who initially show the symptoms of heart attack can prevent the complications in advance. However, people in whom any signs are not seen at an early stage are at a greater risk.
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Dr Sudhir Bhatnagar

Atrial fibrillation — Atrial fibrillation

Artial fibrillation is a common type of arrhythmia where the electrical impulses become uncoordinated, making your heart beat as fast as 300 times per minute. Atrial fibrillation can also be dangerous as the blood pools in the atrium because it doesn’t pump all the blood into the ventricle. This causes a blood clot (thrombus) to form. The clot can break off and travel to another part of the body leading to severe complications like a stroke.
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Cardiomyopathy — Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy refers to the diseases of heart muscle. This disease arises from various causes, and has various symptoms, and treatments. In cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick or rigid. As a result, it becomes less efficient to pump blood through the body and maintain a normal electrical rhythm. This can lead to irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) or may even lead to heart failure. The main types of cardiomyopathy are: dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. Cardiomyopathy either occurs sporadically or can be inherited by birth. It can affect people of all age group. However, people of middle age groups are more likely to have certain types of cardiomyopathy.
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Cardiovascular disease — Cardiovascular disease

Heart and blood vessel disease is called cardiovascular disease or heart disease. It includes various problems that are directly related to a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition where there is a build up of plaque within the arteries leading to a block which reduces the size of the artery, this in turn reduces the amount of blood that flows through it. If the artery is completely blocked, it stops blood flow to the organ or muscle completely leading to the death of that part. In relation to the heart, atherosclerosis can lead to a heart attack.
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Congestive heart failure — Congestive heart failure

Chest pain is one of the common symptoms of heart disease. However, if you suffer from oedema, swelling of the ankles and feet in addition to excessive fatigue and irregular heartbeat, you might suffer from congestive heart failure. Commonly called heart failure, congestive heart failure occurs when the heart becomes inefficient to pump adequate amount of blood throughout the body. As a result, the heart has to work harder to pump blood and thus, fails to meet the nutritional demands of all the organs of the body. This in turn causes weakening of the heart muscle and impairment of body functions. Finally, it causes heart failure. It also stimulates the kidneys to hold more water causing swelling in the arms, feet and the face.
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Coronary artery disease — Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease occurs due to damage to the main blood vessels that supply oxygen and various nutrients through blood to the heart. These blood vessels are called coronary arteries. Deposition of cholesterol and formation of plaque (atherosclerosis) is the main reason that causes damage to these arteries. When the plaque builds up and hardens, it blocks the coronary arteries, which in turn reduces the flow of blood to the heart. Over the time, this plaque keeps building and when the blood flow is reduced drastically the main symptoms of coronary artery disease like chest pain (angina) and breathlessness are seen. Complete blockage of the artery leads to a heart attack. Because the process of deposition of cholesterol is gradual, progression of coronary artery disease goes unnoticed. Therefore, the best way to prevent coronary artery disease is to follow a healthy lifestyle and regular screening test for cholesterol levels and other parameters indicating the disease. In this section, you'll find several articles suggesting diet and lifestyle changes for a healthy heart. You can read specific information on silent heart attacks, consequences of cholesterol and awareness on chronic heart disease. Know in detail about coronary heart disease -- causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
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Coronary heart disease — Coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease, is the most prevalent form of heart disease, contributing to more than 95% of total cardiovascular disease prevalence in India. Heart disease that results in blockage of blood vessels supplying blood to the heart (coronary arteries) is called CHD. The blockage of these arteries reduces blood flow to the heart, depriving the heart muscle of oxygen and other nutrients required for its normal functioning. Here’s what Dr Anil Dhall, Senior Panelist Cardiology, Docplexus has to say about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart or artery disease.
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Fainting — Fainting

Fainting or syncope, known in medical terms, is the loss of consciousness. A person who has fainting spells returns to full consciousness but has no inkling of having lost it in the first place. Usually, it occurs when there is a sudden decrease in the heart rate or blood pressure, hindering the brain’s blood supply. The interruption in oxygen supply to the brain happens because of low blood pressure, the result of which is less availability of blood to the brain as the heart is unable to pump blood. Fainting, followed by the blurring of vision, blackout, light-headedness, feeling of nausea, and dizziness, should not be passed off as just a mere normal occurrence because this may be a warning sign of a serious heart ailment. Dizziness is normal after strenuous work but fainting coupled with these signs is abnormal and warrants certain seriousness if you are ignoring it.[1,2]
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Pericarditis — Pericarditis
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Pericarditis is a disorder in which inflammation of the pericardium occurs. The pericardium is a sac or membrane-like structure comprising two thin layers of tissue around the heart. The function of the pericardium is to protect and lubricate the heart and keep it in its position; the pericardium also ensures the proper functioning of the heart, The space between the two thin layers is filled with fluid to avoid friction while the heartbeats. Therefore, these two layers move against each other without any irritation. The primary sign of pericarditis is chest pain as pericardium inflammation causes rubbing the pericardium against the heart. The pain can be similar to the pain felt in a heart attack. Pericarditis can be acute (lasts for a shorter period) or chronic (lasts for longer, i.e., it develops over time). Both acute and chronic pericarditis impair the heart’s functioning. Rarely, pericarditis can lead to serious consequences, including abnormal heart rhythm and/or death. In most cases, mild pericarditis occurs, which subsides on its own with rest or primary treatment. Men between 16 years to 65 years of age are at a higher risk of contracting pericarditis. Early diagnosis of pericarditis can prevent further complications.[1,2]
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Dr. Atul Patil

Rheumatic heart disease — Rheumatic heart disease

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a type of rare heart disease found in children of age group 5-15 years, which occurs due to the inflammation of heart. This inflammation is caused due to an infection of Streptococcus bacteria that leads to symptoms like sore throat (strep throat) and fever called rheumatic fever. The problem starts with a person suffering from a condition called rheumatic feveras a child. Since this fever is often very slight it is ignored. The child may subsequently have joint pain and active rheumatic carditis (a condition where the heart is inflamed due to infection). The child may also have shortness of breath and chest pain with high fever. The downside to this disease is that these symptoms are short lived and subside quickly, and since it does not recur it is often ignored. By the time one notices the first symptom of rheumatic fever to the time they notice something gravely wrong and visit a doctor, it is usually quite late and the heart valve is affected. One of the first valves to be affected is the mitral valve. (Read: Rheumatoid Arthritis: Your guide to living with the disease) Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.
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Know why wrist angioplasty is becoming the preferred heart procedure worldwide, offering faster recovery, less pain, fewer complications, and improved patient comfort.

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Ultra-processed foods increases risk of cardiovascular disease, new research finds

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Written by Satata Karmakar
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