Common Circulatory System Diseases: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention
Major Cardiovascular Diseases
- Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): Atherosclerotic narrowing → angina, MI. Risk: LDL, HTN, smoking, diabetes.
- Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack): Acute coronary occlusion → necrosis. STEMI/NSTEMI. Time = muscle.
- Stroke: Ischemic (clot) or hemorrhagic (bleed). FAST recognition. TIA = warning.
- Heart Failure: Reduced (HFrEF) or preserved (HFpEF) ejection fraction. SOB, edema, fatigue.
- Hypertension: Silent killer. Target <130/80. Lifestyle + meds.
- Arrhythmias: AFib (stroke risk), VT/VF (sudden death), bradyarrhythmias. ECG diagnosis.
- Valvular Heart Disease: Stenosis/regurgitation (aortic, mitral). Echo diagnosis. TAVR, MitraClip options.
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) / Pulmonary Embolism (PE): Virchow's triad. Anticoagulation. PE = medical emergency.
- Atherosclerosis: Underlying process for CAD, PAD, carotid disease. Lipid lowering, lifestyle.
Prevention (Life's Essential 8)
- Healthy diet (DASH/Mediterranean)
- Physical activity (150 min moderate/week)
- No tobacco
- Healthy weight
- Control cholesterol, BP, blood sugar
- Healthy sleep (7–9h)
Regular screening (lipids, BP, glucose) enables early intervention.
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