Cardiovascular disease - Restore Health Clinic

What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart and blood vessels. It is a major cause of death globally, responsible for over 17 million deaths per year.

The most common types of cardiovascular disease include:

• Coronary artery disease: Damage or disease in the heart's major blood vessels that can cause a heart attack. This is the leading cause of death in many developed countries.
• Stroke: Interruption of blood supply to part of the brain, which can cause brain cell death.
• High blood pressure: Chronic elevated blood pressure that can damage blood vessels over time.
• Heart failure: When the heart muscle is too weak to properly pump blood. This reduces quality of life and has a 50% 5-year survival rate.

So in summary, cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term referring to conditions affecting the heart and circulatory system. The most serious CVDs can lead to heart attack, stroke, and death if not properly managed.

What causes cardiovascular disease?

Many factors influence a person's risk of developing CVD. The main drivers include:

• Diet: Diets high in saturated/trans fats, salt, sugar, and processed foods are linked to CVD.
• Lifestyle: Smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, stress, and alcohol abuse increase CVD risk.
• Genetics: Family history of heart disease is associated with higher risk.
• Diabetes: Having diabetes doubles the risk of CVD.
• High cholesterol: Excess LDL cholesterol builds up plaques in arteries.

By controlling risk factors like unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles, many CVD cases could be prevented. Population-wide efforts to promote healthier behaviors have reduced CVD rates in recent decades.

How is cardiovascular disease treated?

Depending on the specific type and severity of CVD, treatment options include:

• Medications: Such as statins, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors to manage high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or strain on the heart.
• Surgery/procedures: To open blocked blood vessels (angioplasty, stents) or redirect blood flow (coronary bypass).
• Lifestyle changes: Improving diet quality, increasing exercise, stopping smoking to control modifiable risk factors.

In mild cases, lifestyle changes combined with medication may be sufficient. More advanced disease often requires surgical interventions combined with lifestyle changes and medicine.

The key is early detection and proactive management to prevent "silent" CVD from advancing unchecked. With prompt treatment guided by a healthcare provider, many can manage their cardiovascular disease and maintain quality of life.

So in brief, cardiovascular disease is serious but also largely preventable through healthy lifestyles and wise treatment decisions. Controlling risk factors and catching issues early is key.