What are the different types of cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to dysfunction of the heart and blood vessels and classified into more specific conditions based on the anatomical location of the disease. These conditions include coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), and others. CVD typically occurs due to an ischemic disruption of normal perfusion (blood flow). Most commonly, the cause of CVD is atherosclerosis; however, disruption in perfusion can be also caused by other factors such as blood clots from atrial fibrillation or heart valve damage after rheumatic fever.^[1]

• CAD is also known as coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic heart disease (IHD). In CAD, decreased myocardial perfusion (i.e., less blood flow to the heart muscle) can cause angina (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (MI, colloquially known as a “heart attack”). When chest pain occurs with exertion and stops after rest and/or medication, it is considered stable angina. However, when chest pain occurs unpredictably, including at rest, it is known as unstable angina and can be a medical emergency which can develop into an MI.^[2]
• Cerebrovascular disease is the disruption of perfusion into the brain and includes ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and also transient ischemic attack (TIA), Ischemic stroke and TIA are caused by ACVD and share the same risk factors as CAD (above).^[3]
• PVD, also called peripheral arterial disease (PAD), is caused by reduced perfusion to the lower limbs, caused by atherosclerosis. PVD most commonly presents with symptoms of intermittent claudication with walking.^[4]
• Other types of CVD include heart failure, arrhythmia, aortic aneurysm, inflammatory heart disease (such as myocarditis), and heart valve disease (e.g. valvular stenosis). These have different causes from ACVD.^[1][5]