Causes of heart diseases

What causes heart disease?

The heart is a muscle that requires a steady supply of oxygen in order to pump blood effectively through the body. Oxygen is supplied to the heart by blood that flows through the coronary arteries. Some types of heart disease damage or block the coronary arteries and the flow of oxygen to the heart. Other forms of heart disease damage or impair the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. These disorders include:

Abnormal electrical conduction in the heart causing cardiac arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms. These include ventricular tachycardia, heart blocks, ventricular fibrillation, asystole, supraventricular tachycardia, and bradycardia.

Atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque on the walls of the coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis narrows the coronary arteries and results in angina. It can also lead to the formation of a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the heart (heart attack).

Birth defects, also called congenital heart or blood vessel defects. These include atrial septal defect, coarctation of the aorta, and atrioventricular septal defect.

Heart damage, such as heart failure or cardiomyopathy, that weakens the pumping action of the heart

Heart valve abnormalities, which are also called heart valve disorders. Heart valve disorders include mitral valve insufficiency, mitral valve prolapse, mitral valve stenosis, tricuspid valve insufficiency, and tricuspid valve stenosis.

Infection and inflammation caused by myocarditis or pericarditis


What are the risk factors for heart disease?
A number of factors are thought to increase your chances of having heart disease. These risk factors include:

African American, Hispanic American, or Native American ancestry

Excessive alcohol consumption

Exposure of a baby to certain maternal diseases during pregnancy

Exposure of a baby to certain toxins during pregnancy

Family history of heart disease

High blood pressure (hypertension)

History of atherosclerosis

History of diabetes

Long-term stress

Male gender and postmenopausal females aged 45 years and older

Obesity and sedentary lifestyle

Smoking

Having high levels of certain substances in the body, which can be seen on blood tests, can also increase the risk for heart disease. These include:

High cholesterol, which can lead to atherosclerosis

High C-reactive protein (CRP) level, which increases atherosclerosis

High homocysteine level, which is associated with heart disease; however, no causal link has been established