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Is cardiovascular disease the same as heart disease or coronary heart disease?

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 11, 2023.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Cardiovascular disease, heart disease and coronary heart disease (coronary artery disease) all sound similar and are sometimes used interchangeably, but there are differences in what each term covers.

Cardiovascular disease, is an umbrella term covering diseases of both the heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular) in the body. Heart disease and coronary heart disease are cardiovascular diseases, but so are other diseases affecting blood vessels such as high blood pressure and peripheral artery disease.

Heart disease is another broad term used to describe a range of disorders affecting your heart. It includes diseases of the blood vessels associated with the heart, such as coronary heart disease, but it also includes disorders such as an abnormal heart rate or rhythm (heart arrhythmia), and defects in the structure of the heart that some people are born with (congenital heart disease).

Coronary heart disease, is a condition that develops when the major blood vessels (coronary arteries) supplying the heart with oxygen, blood and nutrients are damaged or diseased. Inflammation and cholesterol-containing deposits (plaques) are usually to blame for coronary heart disease. Confusingly, the term heart disease is often used when referring specifically to coronary heart disease.

An important thing to remember is that all heart diseases are cardiovascular diseases, but some cardiovascular diseases are not heart diseases.

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The most common medicines used to treat and help prevent worsening heart disease include:

  • Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) and other cholesterol-lowering medicines
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
  • Calcium channel blockers / calcium antagonists
  • Beta blockers
  • Isosorbide or nitroglycerin
  • Antiplatelet drugs, like aspirin or clopidogrel
  • Warfarin or other blood thinners
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Physical activity prevents heart disease by helping you maintain a healthy weight and keeping your joints mobile to allow you to do daily activities such as climbing stairs and shopping. This keeps your heart pumping and blood and oxygen flowing around your body. Physical activity has also been shown to lower stress hormones and reduce your risk of depression or cognitive decline (this is how you think or learn, and your judgment skills). When you feel good about yourself and the world you live in, then you are more inclined to be active and to take good care of yourself, which helps your heart as well. It also boosts your immune system, causing changes in antibodies and white blood cells which are the body’s immune cells that fight disease. This can lower your risk of catching infections, such as the cold or the flu, or help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. Continue reading

You can check for heart disease at home by measuring your pulse rate and your blood pressure if you have a blood pressure monitor. To measure your pulse you will need an analog watch (one with a clock face rather than digital numbers) with a second hand. Place your index and middle finger of your hand on the hollow part of your inner wrist of the other arm, just below the base of the thumb. You should feel a tapping or pulse against your fingers, that is your heartbeat. Look at your watch and count the number of taps you feel in 10 seconds. Multiply that number by 6 to find out your heart rate for 1 minute. Continue reading

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