Cardiovascular disease includes conditions that affect the structures or function of your heart, such as:
- Coronary artery disease (narrowing of the arteries)
- Heart attack
- Abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias
- Heart failure
- Heart valve disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
- Pericardial disease
- Aorta disease and Marfan syndrome
- Vascular disease (blood vessel disease)
It’s the leading cause of death in the U.S. It’s important to learn about your heart to help prevent it. If you have it, you can live a healthier, more active life by learning about your disease and taking care of yourself.
Abnormal Heart Rhythms
The heart is an amazing organ. It beats in a steady, even rhythm, about 60 to 100 times each minute. That’s about 100,000 times each day. Sometimes, your heart gets out of rhythm. An irregular or abnormal heartbeat is called an arrhythmia. An arrhythmia (also called a dysrhythmia) can produce an uneven heartbeat, or a very slow or very fast beat.
Coronary Artery Disease
You may hear this called CAD. It’s the hardening of the arteries that give the heart vital oxygen and nutrients. That hardening can also be referred to as atherosclerosis.
