Heart disease

Alternative Names: Cardiovascular disorders

Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart's ability to function normally. Various forms of heart disease include:

• Angina (angina pectoris) - stable
• Angina (angina pectoris) - unstable
• Aortic regurgitation
• Aortic stenosis
• Arrhythmias
• Cardiomyopathy - alcoholic
• Cardiomyopathy - dilated
• Cardiomyopathy - idiopathic
• Cardiomyopathy - ischemic
• Cardiomyopathy - hypertrophic
• Cardiomyopathy - peripartum
• Cardiogenic shock
• Congenital heart disease
• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Endocarditis
• Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• Heart failure
• Heart tumor
• Mitral regurgitation - acute
• Mitral regurgitation- chronic
• Mitral stenosis
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Pulmonary stenosis
• Tricuspid regurgitation

Causes of Heart disease

The most common cause of heart disease is a narrowing of or blockage in the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle (coronary artery disease). Some heart diseases are present at birth (congenital heart disease).

Other causes include:

• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Abnormal heart valve function
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Cardiomyopathy - weakening of the heart's pumping ability, often caused by heart disease, viral infection, or toxins

Goldman L. Approach to the patient with possible cardiovascular disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 48.

Heart, section through the middle	Heart, front view	Coronary artery blockage

Review Date: 11/14/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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