Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart failure.

Atherosclerosis: A disease in which plaques build up inside arteries, narrowing them and limiting blood flow. Plaque formation is a major pathway to coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke.
Blood pressure: The force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Its sustained elevation is both a measurable risk factor and a source of vascular injury.
Primary prevention: Actions taken to prevent disease before it occurs. It targets risk factors before a first cardiovascular event.
Coronary artery disease: Narrowing or blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. It is a major cardiovascular disease and a frequent cause of heart attack.
Cardiovascular mortality: Deaths caused by diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It captures the major contribution of these disorders to mortality worldwide.
Thrombosis: The formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel or the heart. A clot can abruptly block circulation and trigger a heart attack or stroke.
Low-density lipoprotein: A cholesterol-carrying particle in blood that can contribute to plaque formation in artery walls. Elevated levels are a modifiable contributor to atherosclerotic disease.
Statin: A class of medicines that lowers blood cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase. Statins reduce atherosclerotic events by lowering LDL cholesterol and stabilizing plaques.
Stroke: Brain injury caused by interrupted blood flow or bleeding within or around the brain. It is a major vascular event, although its effects occur in the brain.
Cardiovascular epidemiology: The study of the distribution, determinants, and prevention of cardiovascular disease in populations. Population patterns reveal how risk and disease burden vary across groups.

Linked from 57 pages