The Different Types of Heart Diseases That Are Diagnosed Today

More than 30 million Americans have heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming around 650,000 lives each year.

In the US, the death rate from heart disease is highest among white males, with a death rate of 274.5 per 100,000. This group is followed by white females (231.4), black males (202.8), and black females (165.5).

Around 1 in 8 people who suffer a heart attack will die from it.

Heart disease can be defined as a collection of conditions and diseases that result in cardiovascular problems. There are many types of heart diseases, which we will highlight and examine in this blog post.

Arrhythmia

As a disorder of the heart, an arrhythmia affects the rhythm or rate at which the heart beats. It occurs when the electrical impulses that regulate heartbeats do not function correctly. There are different types of arrhythmia including tachycardia, bradycardia, fibrillation, and premature contraction.

To learn more about atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder, check out afibmatters.org.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium, the muscle layer of the heart. It causes the heart’s muscles to harden and/or grow weak. As with arrhythmia, there are different types of cardiomyopathy, including:

• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy results in the heart being unable to adequately pump blood to the body’s organs and tissues.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis can be defined as a hardening or thickening of the arteries, caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. When plaque forms in the arteries, it can make normal blood flow difficult and result in a shortage of oxygen and blood in various tissues throughout the body.

It can lead to heart failure, stroke, and heart attacks.

Congenital Heart Defects

Congenital heart defects are heart irregularities that are present at birth. This type of heart disease can affect the blood vessels, the heart valves, and the heart walls. Research shows that approximately 1 million adults and 1 million children have congenital heart defects in the US.

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease is caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart. This results in impaired blood flow in the arteries and it is a leading cause of death in the US, among both men and women. Some of the risk factors of coronary artery disease include:

• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• High blood cholesterol levels
• Obesity
• Insulin resistance
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Emotional stress

It is the most common type of heart disease in the United States.

Different Types of Heart Diseases

While there are certain risk factors that can’t be controlled when it comes to heart disease, such as family history, age, and ethnicity, you can reduce your chances of developing heart disease.

For optimal health, prevention includes focusing on overall mental and physical health, managing stress, and aiming for healthy blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. Take advantage of supplements available to help with this, like lactobacillus reuteri capsules, that help support cardiovascular health and cholesterol regulation.

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