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Stroke or CVA is another category listed under CV Disease

A Stroke is a lack of blood flow to the brain from a blood clot, or bleeding in the brain from a broken blood vessel, causes a stroke. Without a good blood supply, brain cells cannot get enough oxygen and begin to die.

You can also have what are sometimes called “mini strokes,” or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), where no damage is done to the brain. But even though they do no damage, TIAs are serious and can put you at higher risk of having a full stroke. Not controlling high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes all increase your risk for stroke.

What is heart and cardiovascular disease?

While often thought of as the same thing, heart and cardiovascular disease are different, involving different parts of your body.

Heart disease refers only to diseases of the heart and the blood vessel system within the heart.

Cardiovascular disease refers to diseases of the heart and diseases of the blood vessel system (arteries, capillaries, veins) within a person’s entire body, such as the brain, legs, and lungs. “Cardio” refers to the heart and “vascular” refers to the blood vessel system.

The heart is a strong, muscular pump slightly larger than your fist. It pumps blood continuously through the circulatory system, the network of elastic tubes that allows blood to flow throughout your body. The circulatory system includes two major organs, the heart and lungs, and blood vessels (arteries, capillaries, and veins).

Arteries and capillaries carry oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from the heart and lungs to all parts of the body. Veins carry oxygen- and nutrient-depleted blood back to the heart and lungs. Heart and blood vessel problems do not happen quickly. Over time, the arteries that bring blood to the heart and brain can become blocked from a buildup of cells, fat, and cholesterol (plaque). Reduced blood flow to the heart from blockages in the arteries causes heart attacks. Lack of blood flow to the brain from a blood clot, or bleeding in the brain from a broken blood vessel, causes a stroke.

How do I know if I have heart or cardiovascular disease? Are there any tests?

Heart disease can often have no symptoms, which is why it is called a “silent” killer. But, there are some symptoms that can alert you to a possible problem. Chest or arm discomfort, especially while under stress or during activity, is a classic symptom of heart disease, and is a warning sign of a heart attack. You may also have fatigue (with no reason why), shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or abnormal heart beats (palpitations).

Talk with your health care provider if you think you may be having any symptoms of heart disease. Your health care provider will first take a complete medical history and do a physical exam. There are many tests for heart disease.

The choice of which (and how many) tests to perform depends on a person’s symptoms and history of heart problems. A health care provider will most often start with simple tests, which may lead to tests that are more complex. More than one test may be needed because each test gives different information. Tests can be either invasive or noninvasive. Invasive tests involve the insertion of needles, instruments, or fluids into the body; noninvasive tests do not.

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CHF is still another category listed under CV Disease

Heart failure

Heart failure means that the heart is not able to pump blood through the body as well as it should. It does NOT mean that the heart literally stops. Heart failure develops slowly over time and can have a large impact on a person’s life and ability to perform daily activities of living, such as dressing, bathing, and getting around.

Congestive heart failure is a term often used to describe heart failure. But congestion, or the buildup of fluid, is only one symptom of heart failure and does not occur in all people who have heart failure.

There are two main categories of heart failure - systolic and diastolic - and within each category, symptoms can differ from person to person.
Systolic heart failure happens when the heart’s ability to pump blood decreases. The heart cannot push enough blood into the circulatory system, causing blood coming into the heart from the lungs to back up and leak fluid into the lungs (called pulmonary congestion).

Diastolic heart failure occurs when the heart has trouble relaxing or resting. The heart muscle becomes stiff and cannot fill with blood, causing fluid to buildup (most often in the feet, ankles, and legs) and lung congestion. Talk with your health care provider right away if you have any of the signs of heart failure. There are drugs to treat heart failure. Having a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can lower your risk for heart failure.