CVD includes all diseases of the heart and circulation but most commonly it refers to coronary heart disease (angina, heart attack), stroke and other blood vessel diseases.
Other conditions include congenital heart disease, heart valve disease and disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy).
Related topics: atherosclerosis, angina, heart attack, stroke.
Often, there are no symptoms of the underlying disease. A heart attack or stroke may be the first signs of CVD.
Risk factors include:
Many risk factors influence and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. A lot of these risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight/obesity, inactivity and smoking are modifiable.
Your doctor will do a physical examination and ask you about your own and your family medical history before doing any tests.
These tests may include: blood tests, ECG, echocardiogram, a Holter monitor, angiogram/cardiac catheterisation, a CT scan, and MRI.
Making certain lifestyle changes is vital to improving and potentially preventing cardiovascular disease.
Depending on your individual condition, certain medications may be prescribed. If these medications aren’t enough, specific procedures or surgery may be recommended.