Heart Conditions

The A-Z of Heart Conditions

Angina

t is the pain or discomfort you experience when your heart cannot get enough blood. The discomfort does not damage your heart but is a warning symptom that there is a problem with the blood supply to your heart.

Arrythmia

If the heartbeat is too slow, it is called a bradyarrhythmia or bradycardia. If it is too fast, it is called a tachyarrhythmia or tachycardia. We consider that the normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute but there are many exceptions.

Atherosclerosis

Namely “Athero” (meaning porridge or gruel) and “sclerosis” (meaning hardness). Atherosclerosis can affect large and medium sized arteries. This is due to plaque growth in the arteries.

Atrial Fibrillation

An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart beat which is continuously irregular with no pattern to it at all. It can affect adults of any age but is more common as you get older. 1 in 4 people over the age of 50 are at risk of developing atrial fibrillation. It occurs more frequently in those with underlying heart disease.

Cardiac Arrest

It means there has been a sudden loss of function of the heart causing it to stop pumping blood all around the body. It can occur in a person with or without heart disease. This happens due to an abrupt disturbance in the heart’s rhythm which results in the heart not beating or beating too little to keep the person alive.

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a medical term used to explain that there is a heart (Cardio) muscle (myo) disorder or problem (pathy). Because it affects the heart muscle, it can affect the size and shape of your heart, and the thickness of the muscle wall. This then makes it more difficult for your heart to pump blood to all parts of the body.

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is among the leading causes of death and disability in Ireland. CVD includes all diseases of the heart and circulation but most commonly it refers to coronary heart disease (angina, heart attack), stroke and other blood vessel diseases. Other conditions include congenital heart disease, heart valve disease and disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy).

Diabetes and your heart

Diabetes is closely linked to heart attack, angina and stroke. Having high blood sugar levels means that your blood vessels are more likely to develop a build up of fatty material.

Those who have Type 2 diabetes are three times more likely to develop heart disease and stroke than people who do not have diabetes.

Women with diabetes have a four to six-fold increase in the risk of developing heart disease, whereas men with diabetes have a two-to-three fold increase in risk.

Endocarditis

Endocarditis is a rare but potentially serious infection affecting the inner lining of the heart (endocardium) and most commonly affecting one of the heart valves.  It is usually caused by bacteria (germs) entering the blood and travelling to the heart. Endocarditis is more common in older people, people with damaged heart valves, artificial heart valves or other heart defects.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) means there is an exceptionally high cholesterol level in the blood from birth unrelated to diet and lifestyle. It is a common inherited disorder which can cause premature coronary heart disease (heart disease in early life) due to the remarkably high cholesterol level, in particular the LDL cholesterol (LDL-C).

Heart Attack

A heart attack is a life threatening event that happens when the coronary arteries that supply blood to your heart muscle suddenly become blocked. If this blockage happens it causes damage to your heart muscle. You might also hear of a heart attack called acute coronary syndrome or myocardial infarction (MI).

Heart Block

Heart Block is the term used to describe when the electrical impulses (which stimulate your heart to beat), are blocked or interrupted, causing your heartbeat to ‘slow down’ or be delayed. When the heart is beating normally, each beat is triggered by an ‘’electrical impulse’’, which is generated by a specialised group of cells in the heart muscle, called the Sino-Atrial node (SA node).

This is located near the top of the heart and is responsible for the contraction (squeezing) of the heart’s upper chambers (the atria).

From here, the impulse travels down to another node, the Atrio-Ventricular Node (AV node), which creates a gateway to the specialised electrical conducting system of the ventricles (lower chambers).

Heart Failure

The term heart failure is used to describe a heart which is not working as well as it should. This can sound quite frightening but it is important to understand that your heart is not about to stop. It can certainly cause a build up of fluid in the lungs (lung congestion) causing breathlessness or leg swelling but these symptoms can improve with suitable treatment allowing you to live well with heart failure.

Heart Valve Disease

In your heart, there are 4 valves (right and left) separating the top and bottom chambers from each other, and the bottom chambers from the main blood vessels leaving the heart. The valve consists of a set of flaps (also called leaflets or cusps). These flaps open and close fully so that blood can exit a chamber of the heart and not return.

The 2 most common heart valves that develop problems are the aortic valve (between the left lower chamber and the aorta) and the mitral valve (between the left upper and lower chambers).

High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure shows the amount of work that your heart has to do to pump blood around the body. Two numbers are used to measure the level of your blood pressure. One records blood pressure when the pressure is at its highest whilst the other is when your heart relaxes. The normal level of blood pressure is usually about 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic). If you have been told that your blood pressure is 140 over 90 or higher (or 140 over 80 if you have diabetes) you should discuss this with your family doctor.

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension), it means your blood pressure is consistently higher than it should be. The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of heart attack or stroke.

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of fat found in your blood. You need a certain amount of cholesterol for all your body cells and to produce important hormones. However, if there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it sticks to your artery walls to form atheroma or plaque. Having high cholesterol is one of the risk factors which increase your chances of getting heart disease and stroke.

Long QT Syndrome

LQTS is an inherited condition. It is a disturbance of the heart’s electrical system which causes heart rhythm problems. It is estimated that 1 person in every 5,000 has LQTS. The condition is generally inherited; however it can also be caused by certain medications you may be taking for other medical conditions.

There are two main types of LQTS:

• The more common Romano-Ward syndrome, which is inherited from one parent.
• The Jervell, Lange-Nielsen form of LQTS. This is rare, as both parents must have the abnormal gene to pass on the condition. This type of LQTS has a link with deafness.

Palpitations

Palpitations are very common and most people can experience them from time to time during their lifetime. In most cases they are harmless and not a sign of heart problems.

Pericarditis

Surrounding the heart is a thin sac or bag (membrane) known as the pericardium, with an inner and outer layer containing a small amount of lubricating fluid between the layers. If this surrounding bag becomes inflamed the condition is called Pericarditis. When the pericardium is inflamed, it may cause these layers to become more sticky and for more fluid to accumulate in the sac. Your doctor may hear a rubbing sound when he listens to your heart as the two sticky layers of your pericardium rub off each other.

Pulmonary Oedema

Pulmonary oedema is the medical term used to describe the circumstances where the lungs fill with excess fluid, making it difficult to breathe and get enough oxygen into the blood.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD)

SCAD is an uncommon emergency condition in which a ‘tear’ happens within the layers of the wall of the artery. This leads to blood becoming trapped within the artery, forming a clot and causing a partial or complete blockage. This can lead to a possible heart attack, an abnormal heart rhythm or even sudden death, if not treated promptly.

Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel, which is carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, bursts or is blocked by a clot. This causes an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. This can damage or destroy brain cells which will affect body functions.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are another type of fat found in your blood. Too much triglyceride in your blood can increase your chances of getting heart disease and stroke.

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW)

WPW is a condition where an extra conduction (electrical) pathway, called an accessory pathway, connects the upper and lower chambers (atria and ventricles) of the heart.

Normally, there is just one electrical pathway connecting these chambers and impulses which generate the heartbeat pass in only one direction (upper to lower).

The extra pathway may allow the normal electrical signal to arrive at the ventricles more quickly than usual, causing “pre-excitation” and producing characteristic changes on the electrocardiogram (ECG).

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