Cardiovascular disease (CVD), also known as heart and circulatory disease, is a term for conditions that affect your heart or blood vessels. High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of cardiovascular disease worldwide.

What causes CVD?

Although the exact cause of CVD is unknown, there are many risk factors for developing the condition. Some risk factors cannot be controlled, like your age and family history. Other factors are related to lifestyle, and you can take steps to reduce your risk. The more risk factors you have, the more at risk you are for CVD.

The main risk factors are shown below:

  • High blood pressure. If untreated, high blood pressure (hypertension) can cause extra strain and damage on your arteries causing them to narrow and harden which can reduce the blood flow and oxygen circulating around your body. The damage to the inner walls of the blood vessels also increases the risk of a build up of fatty substances called plaque which can result in blood clots.
  • Cigarette smoking and other tobacco use. The harmful substances in tobacco reduce the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry and damages and narrows your blood vessels.
  • High cholesterol. Cholesterol can cause your blood vessels to narrow and increase your risk of developing blood clots.
  • Diabetes. High blood sugars can damage your blood vessels and cause them to become narrowed.
  • Physical inactivity. Having an inactive lifestyle can increase your blood pressure, cholesterol, and your weight, which are all risk factors for CVD.
  • Overweight and obesity. The risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure increases when your body mass index (BMI) is 25 or above.
  • Family history of CVD. Having a family history (a father or brother diagnosed with CVD below age 55, or a mother or sister diagnosed with CVD before age 65) increases your risk of developing CVD.
  • Ethnic background. CVD can affect anybody, but certain groups are affected more than others.
  • CVD is most common with people over the age of 50.
  • Men are more at risk of developing CVD at an earlier age than women.
  • Unhealthy diet. An unhealthy (high fat, high salt, low fiber, and highly processed diet) can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and increased weight.
  • Alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol can increase cholesterol level, raise your blood pressure, and cause weight gain.

Types of cardiovascular disease:

Having high blood pressure is associated with increased risk for CVD, which includes the following conditions:

Coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease occurs when the flow of blood to the heart muscle is reduced or blocked. This puts a strain on the heart, and can lead to:

  • angina – chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle.
  • heart attacks – blood flow to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked.
  • heart failure –the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly.

Stroke and mini stroke

A stroke is where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, which can cause brain damage and possibly death.

A mini stroke (also called a transient ischemic attack or TIA) is like a stroke, but the blood flow to the brain is only temporarily disrupted.

Peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease occurs when there’s a narrowing in the arteries to the limbs, usually the legs. This can cause numbness, pain, and tiredness in the leg muscles when you walk or climb stairs. Usually, this pain goes away when you rest.

Aortic Disease

The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. One of the most common aortic diseases is an aortic aneurysm where the wall of the aorta becomes week and bulges out. There is a chance this can burst and cause life-threatening bleeding.

Preventing CVD

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of CVD. And if you already have CVD, keeping as healthy as possible can reduce the chances of it getting worse.

Stop smoking

Have a healthy diet

Exercise regularly

Maintain a healthy weight

Cut down on alcohol

Medication – If you have a high risk for developing CVD, your doctor may recommend medication to reduce your risk. Medication can be very successful in reducing risks of CVD and may include a combination of medications to lower blood cholesterol levels, prevent blood clots, and reduce your blood pressure. As with any medication regime, it is important to maintain your treatment according to your doctor’s orders and keep your follow-up reviews.

Monitoring your blood pressure through the Dario App will also help your doctor review your progress and alert them and you to any changes.

  1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC2658793
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/heart disease/facts.htm
  4. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ cardiovascular-disease/
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC5059018/ #:~:text=High blood pressure (BP) is,the leading cause of mortality.&text=Approximately 54%25 of strokes and,are attributable to high BP.
  6. https://www.heart.org/en/ health-topics/peripheral-artery-disease/about-peripheral-artery-disease-pad
  7. “2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines”, Paul K. Whelton et al. Hypertension. 2018;71:e13–e115

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