What Are the Causes of Heart Disease?

Millions of Americans suffer from it, but what really are the causes of heart disease? There is almost as many myths and misinformation about the causes of heart disease as there are actual causes. Everything from fatty foods, to high cholesterol, to lack of exercise is included in the list of causes of heart disease, but what truly belongs there? A Realistic Look At The Causes Of Heart DiseaseThe first thing to understand is the coronary heart disease is not one singular disease, but rather a combination of factors that results in a possibly deadly condition that can result in cardiac arrest. While diet and exercise do play a huge role in the disease, this role may not be nearly as prominent as doctors and scientists over the last 30 years or so have lead us to believe.One of the leading and most dangerous causes of heart disease is damage to the heart muscle or a congenital defect. Damage can be caused by a viral, bacterial, fungal, rickettsial or parasitic disease. These dangerous disease can cause a serious weakening of the heart muscle which eventually leads to heart disease.

Each of these high risk factors for heart disease are caused by situations not related to exercise or diet. That is not to say that diet and exercise are not important to cardiac health, but blaming all causes of heart disease on those factors alone is grossly incorrect.

There are literally dozens of risk factors for heart disease. The most commonly cited ones are high blood cholesterol, smoking, lack of exercise, stress, and being overweight. Of these the strongest link between to a direct cause is smoking. The other causes of heart disease do have significant bearing, but none as strong as smoking. While many may say that most smokers will exhibit the other qualities in addition to smoking, if you look at the raw data and factor out the additional causes smoking still carries the strongest correlation to heart disease. Another huge factor in heart disease is stress. Doctors have noted that heart attacks strike in the months after severe emotion trauma. Highlighted condition include death, bankruptcy, layoff, and relationship failure. In each of these situations the risk of cardiac arrest is significantly increased.While diet is important there are other factors that will effect the likelihood of developing heart disease. It is best to try eliminate or mitigate as many of the factors as you can to avoid being a high risk candidate for a heart attack.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) - One Form Of Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease is the most common example of what heart disease is. It is the leading cause of heart attacks. This is caused by hardened and narrowed arteries, which makes the heart have to work much harder to move the blood around the body.

Coronary Artery Disease can also lead to other things, like angina. Angina is the chest pain or squeezing feeling that many people experience as a sign of heart attack. Usually it is in the chest, but it can also be in the shoulders, neck, jaw, back, or arms. It can mimic indigestion. Those who are at risk for heart attack need to be extra careful if they believe they are suffering from indigestion or an upset stomach. These symptoms of angina are classic examples of what heart disease is and how it can feel. Those who have angina are more likely to have a heart attack.

Heart attacks are another byproduct of coronary artery disease. They happen when an artery is entirely or almost completely blocked and the heart is lacking sufficient blood for more than twenty minutes.

Heart Failure - Another Form Of What Heart Disease Is

If the heart can't pump the blood around the body as well as it needs to, there can be heart failure. It isn't that the heart has totally quit working - a common misconception - but it is that because the blood isn't being transferred as it should be, other organs don't get enough blood. Some symptoms include swelling in feet, legs, and ankles, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue. If you have these symptoms, check with your doctor right away.