Tulane Doctors ~ Heart & Vascular Institute ~ Heart Disease

The term "Heart Disease" covers a variety of diseases of the heart. As of 2007, Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in this country.

The types of Heart Disease include:

• Coronary Heart Disease - refers to a failure of the coronary circulation to supply adequate blood to cardiac muscle and surrounding tissue.
• Cardiomyopathy – means "heart muscle disease"
• Cardiovascular Disease - is any of many separate diseases that affect the heart itself and/or the blood vessels, including the cardiac valves, arteriesand veins, leading to and from the heart.
• Ischemic Heart Disease – any coronary disease that results in decreased blood supply to the heart muscle
• Heart Failure – (CHF) results from structural or functional cardiac disorders that impair the heart's ability to pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body due to abnormal heart function (muscle weaknesses or excessive stiffness)
• Hypertensive Heart Disease - Hypertensive heart disease is heart disease caused by high blood pressure
• Inflammatory Heart Disease - involves inflammation of the heart muscle and/or tissues surrounding it
• Valvular Heart Disease - a disease process that affects one or more of the heart valves