Cardiovascular disease 101: Know your heart and blood vessels

You probably hear plenty about what you can do to prevent heart disease. But maybe you're not quite sure exactly what heart disease is. Is it the same thing as cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease or other terms you often come across?

With scores of medical terms related to the heart and blood vessels, it's no wonder you may be scratching your head. Brushing up on some basic terminology about cardiovascular disease can help you stay more informed, which pays off whether you're watching the news or meeting with your doctor.


It all falls under the umbrella of cardiovascular disease

The first term to know is cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is a broad, all-encompassing term. Despite what its name may suggest, it's not actually a particular condition or disorder in itself. Rather, cardiovascular disease is a collection of diseases and conditions.

To get technical, cardiovascular disease refers to any disorder in any of the various parts of your cardiovascular system. Your cardiovascular system consists of your heart and all the blood vessels throughout your body.

Cardiovascular disease, then, has two main components:

Diseases of the heart (cardio)
Diseases of the blood vessels (vascular)
Everything from aneurysms to heart attacks to varicose veins are types of cardiovascular disease. You may be born with some types of cardiovascular disease (congenital) or acquire others later on, usually from a lifetime of unhealthy habits, such as smoking. Some types of cardiovascular disease can even cause other types of cardiovascular disease.

Here's a closer look at the two components of cardiovascular disease.


Diseases of the heart

The diseases and conditions affecting the heart are collectively known as heart disease. The heart consists of a muscle that pumps blood, arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, and valves that ensure that the blood within the heart is pumped in the correct direction. Problems can arise in any of these areas.

Like cardiovascular disease, heart disease is a term that's somewhat loose and broad, and it's often used that way.

Here are the specific types of heart disease:

Coronary artery disease
These are diseases of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. Sometimes known as CAD, coronary artery disease is one of the most common forms of heart disease and the leading cause of heart attacks. It generally means that blood flow through the coronary arteries has become obstructed. The most common cause of such obstructions is a condition called atherosclerosis, a largely preventable type of vascular disease. Coronary artery disease can lead to other heart problems, such as chest pain (angina) and heart attack (myocardial infarction).

Coronary heart disease
Though similar sounding, this isn't quite the same thing as coronary artery disease. You can impress your cardiologist on your next visit — if not your colleagues around the water cooler — if you can explain the difference. Coronary heart disease is a broader term that refers collectively to both diseases of the coronary arteries and their resulting complications, such as chest pain, heart attacks and even scar tissue caused by the heart attack. Remember, coronary artery disease is a disease affecting only the arteries. A heart attack, in contrast, affects the heart muscle.

Cardiomyopathy
This is a condition that includes all diseases of the heart muscle. Some types of cardiomyopathy are genetic, while others occur for reasons that are less well understood. Types of cardiomyopathy include ischemic, which is caused by loss of heart muscle from a heart attack; dilated, which means the heart is enlarged; hypertrophic, which means the heart muscle is thickened; and idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown. One of the most common types of cardiomyopathy is idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy — an enlarged heart without a known cause.

Valvular heart disease
These are diseases of the heart valves. A series of valves within your heart keeps blood flowing in the right direction. Valves may be damaged by a variety of conditions leading to narrowing (stenosis), leaking (regurgitation or insufficiency) or improper closing (prolapse). You may be born with valvular disease, or the valves may be damaged by such conditions as rheumatic fever, infections (infectious endocarditis), connective tissue disorders, and certain medications or radiation treatments for cancer.

Pericardial disease
These are diseases of the sac that encases the heart (pericardium). Pericardial disorders include inflammation (pericarditis), fluid accumulation (pericardial effusion) and stiffness (constrictive pericarditis). These can occur alone or together. The causes of pericardial disease vary, as do the problems they may lead to. For instance, pericarditis can occur after a heart attack and, as a result, lead to pericardial effusion or chest pain.

Congenital heart disease
These are forms of heart disease that develop before birth (congenital). Congenital heart disease is a broad term and includes a wide range of diseases and conditions. These diseases can affect the formation of the heart muscle or its chambers or valves. They include such conditions as narrowing of a section of the aorta (coarctation) or holes in the heart (atrial or ventricular septal defect). Some congenital heart defects may be apparent right at the time of birth, while others may not be detected until later in life.

Heart failure
Heart failure, often called congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to your body's organs and tissues. It doesn't mean your heart has failed and can't pump blood at all. With this less effective pumping, vital organs don't get enough blood, causing such signs and symptoms as shortness of breath, fluid retention and fatigue. Congestive heart failure is technically reserved for situations in which heart failure has led to fluid buildup in the body. Not all heart failure is congestive, but the terms are often used interchangeably. Heart failure may develop suddenly or over many years. It may occur as a result of other cardiovascular conditions that have damaged or weakened the heart, such as coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy.


More On This Topic
Coronary artery disease
Cardiomyopathy
Congenital heart defects: When your baby's born with a heart malformation
Heart failure
Diseases of the blood vessels

Blood vessels are essentially hollow tubes that carry blood to the organs and tissues throughout your body. The four basic types of blood vessels are:

Arteries. These blood vessels carry blood away from your heart and out to your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients. The aorta is the largest blood vessel of all.
Veins. These blood vessels carry deoxygenated blood back to your heart. Lacking oxygen, they have a bluish cast on your skin.
Capillaries. These tiny vessels connect arteries and veins.
Lymphatics. Fluid leaks out of capillaries to bathe cells. Lymphatics are delicate vessels that carry this fluid back into your body's central circulation.
Blood vessels have many layers and a complex mechanism of action to keep blood flowing to all of your vital organs. Despite that big responsibility, you probably don't pay much attention to your blood vessels — until something goes wrong, that is.

Here are some types of blood vessel disorders:

Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are conditions in which the walls of your arteries become thick and stiff. This can sometimes restrict blood flow to your organs and tissues. The process of this thickening and stiffening is arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the most common form of arteriosclerosis. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, atherosclerosis refers to hardening of the arteries caused by accumulation of fatty deposits (plaques) and other substances. The heart is one of the organs commonly affected by atherosclerosis. When the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries) narrow, you may experience chest pain or a heart attack.

High blood pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) is the excessive force of blood pumping through your blood vessels. It's perhaps the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the Western world, affecting about one in four Americans. Although potentially life-threatening, it's one of the most preventable and treatable types of cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure also causes many other types of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke and heart failure.

Stroke
A stroke is a sudden loss of brain function. It occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted (ischemic stroke) or when blood vessels in the brain rupture (hemorrhagic stroke). These, in turn, cause the death of brain cells in the affected areas. Stroke is often thought of as a neurological disorder because of the many complications it causes.

Aneurysm
An aneurysm is a bulge or weakness in the wall of an artery or vein. Aneurysms usually enlarge over time. Because of that, they have the potential to rupture and cause life-threatening bleeding. Aneurysms can occur in arteries in any location in your body. The most common sites include the abdominal aorta and the arteries at the base of the brain.

Peripheral arterial disease and claudication
You may be more familiar with claudication — pain in your arms or legs during exercise — than you are the term "peripheral arterial disease." Strictly speaking, claudication is a symptom of peripheral arterial disease. However, claudication is often referred to as a disease itself. Peripheral arterial disease is a disorder in which the arteries supplying blood to your limbs — usually your legs — become clogged or partially blocked. When this happens, your arms and legs are left with less blood than they need to keep up with demand. Claudication symptoms may then develop. When the obstruction is mild, you may have such symptoms as pain in your legs during strenuous exercise. As the disease progresses and arteries become more obstructed, you may have pain or cramping in your legs even when you're not active.

Vasculitis
This is an inflammation of the blood vessels. It usually involves the arteries but may also affect veins and capillaries. The inflammation may damage the wall of the artery or vein and impair blood flow to the region of your body supplied by that vessel. Sometimes vasculitis occurs along with a generalized disorder, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, but it may also occur on its own.

Venous incompetence
This is a condition in which blood flows the wrong way in your veins. Veins have tiny valves that are designed to promote blood flow in a forward direction, back to the heart. But if you have such conditions as infection, inflammation, abnormal blood clotting, or even high-back pressure in pregnancy, the valves may become damaged and incompetent. That allows blood to flow backward and pool in your legs when sitting or standing. You may develop such complications as prominent and painful varicose veins, skin changes, ulcers and swelling in your legs. When venous incompetence occurs in your arms, you may experience pain and swelling in your arms and prominent veins.

Venous thrombosis
This is the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) in a vein. This condition may damage the vein and its valves. In addition, clots that break off and travel in the bloodstream can lodge in the lungs, a condition known as pulmonary embolism. In some cases, this type of clot can also cause a stroke. You may be more familiar with deep vein thrombosis, in which a clot develops deep within a muscle, such as one in the calf.

Varicose veins
This is a condition in which your veins become twisted and enlarged. The veins are usually located on the backs of your calves or on the inside of your legs, from the groin to the ankle. When valves in your veins don't function properly, blood can accumulate in your legs, causing the veins to bulge and twist. The veins appear blue because they contain less oxygen.

Lymphedema
This is an obstruction of the lymphatic vessels. It results in an excessive buildup of fluid, which can cause swelling and pain. It can be caused by infections, trauma, tumors, surgery and radiation treatment. In rare cases, someone may be born with lymphedema.


Staying informed about cardiovascular disease

You may now know more about cardiovascular disease than you thought you ever would. You may not have realized how many different types of cardiovascular disease are connected in so many complex ways. Indeed, some of it may still be confusing. But keeping in mind that cardio relates to the heart and that vascular relates to blood vessels will help things stay clear.