Types of Heart Disease

Types of heart disease include congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and valvular heart disease. There are over 50 types, each one affecting different areas of the heart and/or the blood vessel system within it. Some people are born with certain types of heart disease known as congenital heart diseases; others develop over time.

 

Types of Heart Disease: An Overview

Heart diseases refer to diseases of the heart and the blood vessel system within it. There are over 50 types of heart disease, the most common being coronary artery disease. What can be confusing for people is that coronary artery disease is often simply referred to as heart disease.
 
Some people are born with heart disease (known as congenital heart disease); others develop during a person's lifetime. Because there are so many types of heart disease, it may be helpful to separate them into problems in the:
 
  • Heart chambers
  • Heart muscle itself
  • Heart valves
  • Coronary arteries and coronary veins
  • Electrical system
  • Heart lining.
     
(Click Cardiovascular System to learn what each of these parts of the heart do.)
 

Types of Heart Disease Affecting the Heart Chambers

Types of heart disease that can affect the heart chambers include:
 
o Diastolic dysfunction
o Systolic dysfunction
  • Cor pulmonale (also known as pulmonary heart disease), which is an enlarged right ventricle.
     
(Types of Heart Disease Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD