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What Does The Word 'Heart Disease' Mean?

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Heart disease is a term that is used to describe that something is interfering with the regular process of the heart. Most cases of heart diseases take place due to negligence of risk factors like obesity, hypertension(high blood pressure), diabetes, alcohol consumption, smoking, consuming high saturated fats, and so on. Heart disease can be controlled to some extent, but if proper care is not taken, the person might suffer from either a cardiac arrest or complete heart failure.

To understand why do diseases take place in the heart, it is important to understand the heart and its functions.

The Heart And Its Functions

The heart is the main organ of the circulatory system. It is located in the central compartment of the thoracic cavity, sitting behind the breastbone and rib cage. Present in the shape of a clenched fist, The largest part of the heart is slightly on the left side because the left heart performs the main function of pumping blood to all parts of the body. The heart consists of:-

Four chambers - TWO UPPER AND TWO LOWER CHAMBERS of the heart. The right and left atrium(upper heart chambers) are the media through which blood enters the lower chambers of the heart. The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the pulmonary veins after the pulmonary circulation, where deoxygenated blood turns into oxygenated one. The right atrium is the medium where the superior and inferior vena cava empty deoxygenated blood into it. The right and left ventricles (lower heart chambers) receive blood from the atrium. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs for pulmonary circulation. The right ventricle is responsible for transporting deoxygenated blood to make it rich in oxygen. The left ventricle pumps blood to the aorta that is responsible for transporting blood to other parts of the body.

Four Valves - Mitral valve is located between the upper left and lower left chambers of the heart. The upper left chamber of the heart receives blood rich in oxygen from the pulmonary veins situated in the lungs. When the upper left heart chamber is filled with oxygen-rich blood, the mitral valve opens and blood flows to the lower left heart chamber. The tricuspid valve is a boundary existing between the upper right heart chamber and the lower right heart chamber. The tricuspid valve is responsible for the transformation of deoxygenated blood into oxygen-rich blood. The blood flows from the upper right heart chamber to the lower right heart chamber, and it then exits the heart through the pulmonary artery. The pulmonic valve, also known as the pulmonary valve, is the valve that helps circulate blood in the body. The pulmonary valve is located between the lower right heart chamber and the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary valve opens when the pressure in the lower right heart chamber(right ventricle) rises above the pressure in the pulmonary artery, and the valve closes on when the pressure in the right ventricle drops rapidly. The aortic valve is the last valve of the heart, located between the lower left chamber of the heart and the aorta. This is one of the most important structures of the circulatory system since it originates from the lower left heart chamber and extends to the abdomen where it transports oxygenated blood to all parts of the body.

Coronary Arteries - The coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. The functioning of the arteries is responsible for the continuous flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart. The left and the right coronary arteries originate from the aorta, where the left one arises from the left leaflet of the aortic valve and provides blood to the left side of the heart, and the right coronary artery originates from the right leaflet of the aortic valve. The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that engulf the heart, regulating its normal function.

Electrical Conduction system - transmits electrical signals generated from the pacemaker cells located in the walls of the right atrium for the heart muscle to contract. The conduction system comprises specialized cells located within the cardiac muscle.

The heart performs the most important function of supplying oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body, through the aorta, providing oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and removing wastes and carbon dioxide. Therefore, we must keep our hearts healthy.

Types Of Heart Diseases
Peripheral Artery Disease :

Affects those arteries that are present in the legs, arms, neck, and kidneys. The arteries that get influenced are the femoral artery(thigh), radial artery(forearm), brachial artery(upper arm), and so on. Peripheral artery disease mostly impacts the legs, resulting in the occurrence of common symptoms called intermittent claudication, where sharp pain is experienced in the calf muscle. Other symptoms include reduced pulse in the feet, numbness of toes, ulcers on the affected limb that do not heal easily, etc.

Coronary Artery Disease :

Impacts arteries that supply blood to the heart. This includes narrowing of the arteries or reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, causing the heart muscle to die. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling of legs and ankles, skin turning grayish-blue, etc.

Cardiomyopathy :

Refers to a series of diseases influencing the heart muscle. In some forms of cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle or the ventricles enlarge or stiffen. It can be a result of risk factors like consumption of alcohol, infections, genetic mutations, etc

Abnormal Heart Rhythms :

Arrhythmias refers to irregular heartbeats where the heart either beats too fast(tachycardia) or the heart beats very slow(bradycardia). It causes due to defects in the electrical conduction system of the heart.

Valvular Heart Disease :

Refers to valve disorders. Either there is a narrowing of the valves or the valves are not able to close properly after receiving blood, causing leakage(regurgitation).

Rheumatic Heart Disease :

Refers to inflammatory diseases in the valves. Its first symptom includes throat infection by the streptococcus bacteria. If left untreated, it causes fever, joint pain, etc.

Congenital Heart Disease :

Caused either due to genetic mutations or environmental factors. If caused by genes, it results in disorders like Turner's syndrome, Holt-Oram syndrome, Di George syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Alagille syndrome. If caused due to environmental factors, causes disorders in the infant are caused due to unhealthy practices carried out by the mother like alcohol consumption, smoking, antidepressants, and so on.

Risk Factors Contributing To Heart Disease
  • Genes - congenital heart disorders are caused due to gene mutations in the DNA of the mother whose genes the child shares.
  • Unhealthy habits - unhealthy habits like smoking and alcohol consumption increases cholesterol build up in the walls of the arteries, increase triglycerides, and cause narrowing of coronary arteries.
  • Poor lifestyle - if you are not getting the required amount of physical exercise, it might result in obesity, increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels, all contributing to heart disease. Consumption of high saturated fats increases plaque deposits in the walls of coronary arteries, leading to a potential heart attack.
  • Not getting proper sleep - sleep reduces blood pressure and keeps it at the optimum level. Not getting the required amount of sleep results in an increase in blood pressure, resulting in heart disease.
Sudden Cardiac Accidents

Symptoms, when left unnoticed, may result in cardiac accidents like:-

  • Heart Attack - Heart attack or myocardial infarction happens when blood supply to the heart suddenly stops. Myocardial infarction means the death of a heart muscle, which means a heart attack takes place when blood is not reaching the heart muscle, which causes the heart muscle to stop functioning or die. This mainly happens due to plague (cholesterol) deposits in the walls of the coronary artery, which block the passage of blood flow to the heart muscle. If the blood supply to a heart muscle is very low, it ruptures the entire pumping system of the heart, which includes blood vessels, arteries, capillaries, and veins. Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, shortness of breath. In some situations, the skin turns blue since the organs of the body are not getting enough blood.
  • Heart Failure - Congestive cardiac failure can take place when the heart has completely lost its ability to pump blood to other organs of the body. Heart failure results in developing excess fluid in and around the lungs, coughing blood, shortness of breath, swelling of the abdomen, legs, and ankles. Even though in some situations, a heart attack can be cured by restoring blood supply to the heart muscle, in the case of heart failure, the only treatment is replacing the heart or installing an artificial pacemaker which might help the heart to function well.
  • Cardiac Arrest - happens when there is a sudden loss of blood in the body due to failure of the heart to pump blood. It requires immediate action like performing CPR to restore the lack of oxygen in the body.

Dr. Swapnil Mate's Cardiology clinic specializes in treating heart diseases and identifying the signs and symptoms that contribute to a possible heart attack. Their cardiology team is trained to eradicate the risk factors that hamper the cardiac health of the patient. Consult Dr. Swapnil Mate for the best medical assistance.

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