Four Common Forms of Cardiovascular Disease

The four most common forms of cardiovascular disease are heart attack, high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke. For many people from all walks of life these common forms of cardiovascular disease are part of their every lives, requiring daily management and presenting quality of life challenges. For still other they present an opportunity to live a heart healthy lifestyle which will exclude them from encountering any of these common forms of cardiovascular disease in the future.

The one thread that runs through each of these forms of cardiovascular disease is a condition known as atherosclerosis where the interior walls of the arteries have narrowed due to the accumulation of plaque. This condition puts pressure on the heart, inhibits circulation, and can seriously damage the arteries if allowed to go unchecked and/or untreated.

But the truth of the matter is that even though a great deal of attention is placed on the formation of arterial plaque the real dangers arise when the deposit of cholesterol, dead cells, and calcium becomes fragile and ruptures leading to the formation of blood clots. This series of events will produce a potentially serious cardiovascular event known as a heart attack.

* Heart Attack: A heart attack takes place when the flow of blood is completely blocked to a part of the heart. Lack of blood will cause the affected area to die. The longer the heart is deprived of blood the more serious the damage will be. Some of the many symptoms of a heart attack include discomfort in the chest that can feel like tightness or squeezing; shortness of breath; pain or discomfort in the neck, back, stomach or jaw; other symptoms include cold sweats, dizziness, or stomach upset sometimes including vomiting.

* High Blood Pressure: Having this condition is not uncommon. Nevertheless, very few people actually know what it means to have high blood pressure (hypertension).

When a person has high blood pressure the force blood flow is exerting on the walls of the blood vessels is greater than it should be. A blood pressure reading is given in two numbers such as 150/110 with the first number representing the pressure when the heart beats (systolic) and the second representing the pressure when the heart is at rest (diastolic). A reading of anything over 140 for systolic is considered high with anything over 90 for diastolic considered high as well. A heart healthy reading is generally considered to be somewhere around 110 over 80.

While there are numerous theories as to what actually leads to high blood pressure no one really knows for sure. Adding to the dangers associated with high blood pressure is the fact that high blood pressure rarely produces any noticeable symptoms and if not treated can lead to heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, and heart failure.

* Heart failure: The name is somewhat misleading and gives the impression that the heart is failing altogether. The truth is when a person has heart failure their heart keeps working but isn't able to meet the body's requirements for cardiovascular health. Heart failure can be caused by arterial plaque, a weakened heart muscle due to age or damage, or a combination of both.

Signs that a person may have heart failure are swelling in the feet, ankles, and legs known as edema; a buildup of fluid in the lungs known as pulmonary congestion; along with persistent fatigue. Additionally, if the kidneys are impacted skin discoloration or toxins in the blood are a possibility as well.

* Stroke: Of all the four forms of cardiovascular disease discussed in the article perhaps the most feared is a stroke due to its potentially debilitating and disfiguring effects. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked. Once blood flow stops the part of the brain effected can't work and neither can the part of the body it controls. A stroke can also occur due to a blood vessel rupture. Stroke is a serious medical emergency.

Symptoms of a stroke include sudden severe headache; numbness or weakness of the arms, legs, face, especially on one side of the body; visual impairment; dizziness, loss of balance, or lightheadedness; unexplained speech difficulties; and mental disorientation or confusion.

Rob Hawkins is an enthusiastic consumer advocate for the use of natural health and natural living with over 10 years experience in the field.
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