Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and other conditions. This group of diseases is the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 18 million lives each year.

Cardiovascular diseases are usually associated with a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots. Four groups of cardiovascular diseases can be distinguished being:

1. Coronary heart disease, occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked or reduced.
2. Strokes and transient ischaemic attacks, occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, which can cause brain damage and possibly death. The difference between a stroke and transient ischaemic attack is that in the latter the blood flow to the brain is only temporarily disrupted and neurologic symptoms appear less than 24 hours.
3. Peripheral arterial disease, occurs when there's a blockage in the arteries to the limbs, usually the legs.
4. Aortic diseases, which are a group of conditions affecting the body’s largest vessel called the aorta carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. One of most common aortic diseases is an aortic aneurysm, where the aorta becomes weakened and bulges outwards. This doesn't usually have any symptoms, but there's a chance it could tear or rupture and cause life-threatening bleeding. Although the exact cause of cardiovascular diseases has not yet been distinguished, several factors are identified which increase the risk to develop cardiovascular diseases. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing CVD.