Is Heart Disease Genetic? Karla Walsh
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What is heart disease?
This question sounds like it has a fairly obvious answer a problem with your heart, right? Although heart disease sounds like a single condition, it actually covers many diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels. These problems most often include coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. In truth, heart disease is just one type of cardiovascular disease, which is any condition that affects the heart or blood vessels. Oftentimes heart disease is used interchangeably for all types of cardiovascular disease.
Other common types of cardiovascular disease include heart valve problems: Your heart has four valves that must work in harmony to keep blood flowing in proper direction. Problems with your valves can lead to arrhythmias in which the heart beats too slow, too fast, or irregularly.