Guide To Heart Disease Prevention

Heart disease describes a group of conditions where the arteries become narrowed or blocked, putting the patient at a higher risk of experiencing a fatal heart attack. Heart disease may also refer to conditions including coronary artery disease, congenital heart defects, cardiomyopathy, heart infections, valvular heart disease arrhythmias, and others. Many diseases that affect the heart are genetic, while others like heart infections and atherosclerosis develop and progress over time. The most common mechanism behind heart disease is when the arteries become damaged from high blood pressure, allowing cholesterol to penetrate and build up inside the artery. This substance that accumulates inside blood vessels is called plaque, and it makes the vessels stiff, narrow, and hard.