Cardiovascular disease
Most frequent cause of death in the industrialized world
Cardiovascular disease is a general term for disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels. These include coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, chronic heart failure, angina pectoris and arrhythmia.
Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the most frequent cause of death in industrialized countries. Worldwide, cardiovascular disease is responsible for one in every three deaths – which translates into 17 million people worldwide each year. By 2020, the WHO estimates the death toll from cardiovascular disease will have risen to nearly 25 million worldwide.
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) – occurs when blood pressure is constantly elevated above recommended limits (exceeding 140 over 90 mm Hg).
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) – narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood. Atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up on the inside wall of the arteries, is the main cause.
- Angina pectoris (a common symptom of CAD) – chest pain resulting from inadequate delivery of oxygen to the heart
- Heart attack – acute interruption of blood supply to the heart muscle that occurs when one or more coronary arteries become blocked (also called myocardial infarction).
- Stroke – reversible or irreversible damage to nerve cells in the brain caused by lack of oxygen. Damage can occur from lack of oxygen when vessels are clogged or from accumulation of blood from bleeding vessels.
- Peripheral vascular disease – narrowing of the arteries leading away from the heart, usually in the legs, lower arms, or hands.
- Chronic heart failure – a complex clinical syndrome where the heart is unable to pump a sufficient amount of blood to the periphery.
- Arrhythmia – any change in the normal rhythm of the heartbeat.
Major risk factors for cardiovascular disease include the following:
- cigarette smoking
- hypertension
- hyperlipidemia (raised levels of ‘bad’ LDL-cholesterol and/or triglycerides)
- diabetes
- obesity
- physical inactivity
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