Heart Disease | MedlinePlus

Heart Disease | MedlinePlus
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Health Topics
Heart Diseases
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/heartdiseases.html
Heart Diseases
Also called: Cardiac diseases
On this page
Basics
Summary
Start Here
Diagnosis and Tests
Prevention and Risk Factors
Treatments and Therapies
Living With
Related Issues
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Genetics
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Videos and Tutorials
Test Your Knowledge
Research
Statistics and Research
Clinical Trials
Journal Articles
Resources
Reference Desk
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For You
Children
Men
Women
Older Adults
Patient Handouts
Summary
What is heart disease?
Heart disease is a general term that includes many types of heart problems. It's a type of cardiovascular disease, which means heart and blood vessel disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but there are ways to prevent and manage many types of heart disease.
What are the types of heart disease?
There are many different types of heart disease. Some you may be born with, called
congenital heart disease
. Other types develop during your lifetime.
Coronary artery disease
(also called coronary heart disease) is the most common type of heart disease. It happens slowly over time when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply your heart muscle with blood. The plaque narrows or blocks blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to other heart problems:
Angina
- chest pain from lack of blood flow
Heart attacks
- when part of the heart muscle dies from loss of blood flow
Heart failure
- when your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs
Arrhythmia
- a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat
Other types of heart diseases may affect your
heart valves
or heart muscle (
cardiomyopathy
).
What causes heart diseases?
The causes of heart disease depend on the type of disease. Some possible causes include lifestyle, genetics, infections, medicines, and other diseases.
Who is more likely to develop heart diseases?
There are many different factors that can make you more likely to develop heart disease. Some of these factors you can change, but others you cannot.
Age.
Your risk of heart disease goes up as you get older.
Sex.
Some factors may affect heart disease risk differently in
women
than in men.
Family history and genetics.
A family history of early heart disease raises your risk. And research has shown that some genes are linked to a higher risk of certain heart diseases.
Race/ethnicity.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. However, certain groups have higher risks than others. This includes Black people, White people, and American Indian/Alaska Native people.
Lifestyle habits.
Over time, unhealthy lifestyle habits can raise your risk of heart disease. These can include:
Eating a diet high in saturated
fats
, refined carbohydrates, and
salt
Not getting
enough physical activity
Drinking too much
alcohol
Smoking
and exposure to
secondhand smoke
Too much
stress
Having other medical conditions
can raise your risk of heart diseases. These conditions include:
High blood pressure
High
cholesterol levels
Diabetes
Obesity
Autoimmune
and inflammatory diseases.
Chronic kidney disease
Metabolic syndrome
What are the symptoms of heart disease?
Your symptoms will depend on the type of heart disease you have. You may not have symptoms at first. In some cases, you may not know you have heart disease until you have a complication such as a heart attack.
How are heart diseases diagnosed?
To find out if you have heart disease, your health care provider will:
Ask about your
medical history
, including your symptoms
Ask about your
family health history
, including relatives who have had heart disease
Do a
physical exam
Likely run
heart tests
and
blood tests
In some cases, your provider may refer you to a cardiologist (a doctor who specializes in heart diseases) for tests, diagnosis, and care.
What are the treatments for heart disease?
Treatment plans for heart disease depend on the type of heart disease you have, how serious your symptoms are, and what other health conditions you have. Possible treatments may include:
Heart-healthy lifestyle changes
Medicines
Procedures or
surgeries
Cardiac rehabilitation
Can heart diseases be prevented?
You may be able to lower your risk of certain heart diseases by making
heart-healthy lifestyle changes
and managing any other medical conditions you have.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Start Here
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Prevention and Risk Factors
Heart Disease Risk Factors
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Treatments and Therapies
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Herbal Supplements and Heart Medicines May Not Mix
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Pacemakers and Implantable Defibrillators: MedlinePlus Health Topic
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Types of Heart Medications
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Living With
Cardiac Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic
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Coping with Feelings
(American Heart Association)
Healthy Recipes
(National Library of Medicine)
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Medication Adherence: Taking Your Meds as Directed
(American Heart Association)
Medication Management
(American Heart Association)
What Is Heart-Healthy Living?
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Related Issues
Air Pollution, Climate, and Heart Disease
(American Heart Association)
All about Heart Rate
(American Heart Association)
Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetes, and Heart Disease
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Spanish
Flu and People with Heart Disease or History of Stroke
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Illegal Drugs and Heart Disease
(American Heart Association)
Inflammation and Heart Disease
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Medication Interactions: Food, Supplements, and Other Drugs
(American Heart Association)
Mental Health and Heart Health
(American Heart Association)
People at Higher Risk of Flu Complications
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Take Diabetes to Heart
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
PDF
Specifics
Black People, Heart Disease and Stroke
(American Heart Association)
Cardiac Amyloidosis
(American Heart Association)
Cardiac Sarcoidosis
(Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Enlarged Heart
(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Also in
Spanish
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Spanish
Myocardial Bridge
(Texas Heart Institute)
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Myocardial Ischemia
(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Top 10 Myths about Cardiovascular Disease
(American Heart Association)
Genetics
Familial HDL deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Tangier disease: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Williams syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Videos and Tutorials
3 Delicious Heart Healthy Recipes
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Blood flow
(Medical Encyclopedia)
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Spanish
Cardiovascular system
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Test Your Knowledge
Heart Palpitations Quiz
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Statistics and Research
About the Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
FastStats: Heart Disease
(National Center for Health Statistics)
Heart and Stroke Statistics
(American Heart Association)
Heart Disease Facts
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Racial and Ethnic Dispartities in Heart Disease
(National Center for Health Statistics)
PDF
What the Latest Heart Disease and Stroke Numbers Mean for Your Health
(American Heart Association)
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Cardiovascular Diseases
(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Heart Diseases
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Management of brain-heart multimorbidity: a clinical practice guideline.
Article: Ex Vivo Effect of Apixaban on Hemostatic Biomarkers in Children With...
Article: Sacubitril/Valsartan and Prevention of Cardiac Dysfunction During Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy:...
Heart Diseases -- see more articles
Reference Desk
Heart Anatomy
(Texas Heart Institute)
Also in
Spanish
Heart Information Center
(Texas Heart Institute)
Also in
Spanish
How the Heart Works
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also in
Spanish
Find an Expert
American Heart Association
Doctor Finder (Database of Interventional Radiologists)
(Society of Interventional Radiology)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Children
Heart Disease (For Kids)
(Nemours Foundation)
Also in
Spanish
Ventricular Assist Device (For Parents)
(Nemours Foundation)
Also in
Spanish
Men
About Men and Heart Disease
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Women
Heart Disease in Women: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in
Spanish
Older Adults
Heart Health
(National Institute on Aging)
Patient Handouts
Aspirin and heart disease
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Being active when you have heart disease
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Electrocardiogram
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Exercise stress test
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Heart disease - risk factors
(Medical Encyclopedia)
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Heart disease and depression
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
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Know the Difference: Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Disease, and Coronary Heart Disease
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
PDF
Understanding cardiovascular disease
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Warning signs and symptoms of heart disease
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Topic Image
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Aging changes in the heart and blood vessels
Aspirin and heart disease
Atrial myxoma
Being active when you have heart disease
Blood flow
C-reactive protein
Cardiac amyloidosis
Cardiovascular system
CPK isoenzymes test
Heart and vascular services
Heart disease - risk factors
Heart disease and depression
Heart disease and intimacy
Heart palpitations
Myocardial contusion
Pulse
Pulse - bounding
Simple, heart-smart substitutions
Swan-Ganz - right heart catheterization
Understanding cardiovascular disease
Ventricular assist device
VLDL test
Warning signs and symptoms of heart disease
Related Health Topics
Angina
Arrhythmia
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiomyopathy
Congenital Heart Defects
Coronary Artery Disease
Diabetic Heart Disease
Endocarditis
Heart Attack
Heart Failure
Heart Health Tests
Heart Surgery
Heart Valve Diseases
How to Prevent Heart Disease
Pericardial Disorders
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on
Heart Diseases
is the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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Find
health information in languages other than English
on
Heart Diseases
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