Heart disease

The term 'heart disease' is used to describe a number of conditions. Two of the most commonly used terms are coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease is caused when the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, become narrower because of the build-up of fatty deposits inside them. This 'furring up' of the arteries is called atherosclerosis.

In time the artery may become so narrow that not enough blood gets through to the heart. This means the heart muscle doesn't get all the oxygen it needs, which is called angina. The pain of angina happens when the heart muscle gets short of oxygen.

If the narrowed artery becomes blocked by a blood clot, this causes a heart attack.

Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease includes all the diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including CHD, heart failure and stroke. Cardiovascular disease causes nearly 238,000 deaths every year in the UK.

There are a number of things that increase the risk of developing heart disease, including:

• high blood pressure
• smoking
• high cholesterol levels
• not being physically active
• being overweight
• diabetes