The most common heart diseases
"The most common in our population is coronary heart disease, which is caused by undercoagulation of the heart muscle and can lead, for example, to myocardial infarction or angina pectoris," explains Markéta Veverková, MD, head of the Internal Medicine Department at Hořovice Hospital.
Other diseases are so-called cardiomyopathies, which can be caused by toxic substances such as alcohol or chemotherapy drugs. Inflammations of the heart muscle after viral infections can also be dangerous. End-stage heart disease can lead to heart failure, where the heart is unable to pump blood into the circulation. In the general population, the incidence of heart failure increases with age.
Symptoms of heart disease
Heart disease can have different causes but manifest in similar ways. Typical manifestations include:
Chest pain,
- breathing difficulties,
- reduced performance and reduced exercise tolerance,
- swelling of the lower limbs,
- feelings of rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Risk factors and prevention
The most common risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise and obesity. "Everyone has a big part of prevention in their hands. Don't smoke, get enough exercise, watch your body weight, eat a balanced diet and go for preventive checkups that include blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checks. If the patient suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure or other diseases, it is essential to follow the treatment and regularly attend check-ups with a general practitioner or specialist," emphasises MUDr. Veverková.
"We only have one heart and it must last us a lifetime. That is why we should not unnecessarily exhaust it by irresponsible behaviour," concludes the Chief Medical Officer.
