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Heart Disease

Causes, symptoms & treatment

What is Heart Disease?

The umbrella term "heart disease" is actually a catchall for a group of conditions that affect the performance of the heart. These conditions include coronary artery and vascular disease, heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias), structural heart disease, cardiomyopathy, stroke, and heart failure.

Approximately 1 in 12 Canadian adults have been diagnosed with heart disease.

What Causes Heart Disease?

Heart disease can be caused by a variety of medical conditions, lifestyle factors, or biological markers including:

  • Hypertension artérielle
  • Cholestérol élevé
  • Infections
  • Sleep apnea
  • Diabète
  • Smoking
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Obesity
  • Poor diet
  • Stress
  • Poor dental hygiene
  • Drug abuse
  • Âge
  • Family history
  • South Asian, African, or Indigenous heritage

Heart Disease Symptoms & Complications

In many cases, patients with heart disease are not diagnosed until they experience a major event like a heart attack or stroke. The warning signs of heart disease will vary by the type of disease present and the severity of the condition. Some common symptoms include:

  • Fainting
  • Chest pain, tightness, pressure, or discomfort (angina)
  • Essoufflement
  • Pain, numbness, or weakness in your limbs
  • Neck, jaw, throat, abdominal, or back pain
  • Fast heart rate
  • Slow heart rate
  • Lightheadedness
  • Vertiges
  • Swelling in hands, feet, ankles, legs or abdomen
  • Pale gray or blue skin
  • Fatigue during exercise
  • Fièvre
  • Dry or persistent cough
  • Skin rashes
  • Weakness

When to See a Doctor

Patients should get tested for heart disease if they experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting.

How to Diagnose Heart Disease

The most common methods for diagnosing heart disease include blood tests, electrocardiograms (ECG/EKG), Holter monitoring, echocardiograms, stress tests, cardiac catheterization, cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

After reviewing the results of these tests, your doctor will likely place you into one of three risk categories "low, medium, or high" and then develop an appropriate treatment plan for your unique situation.

Heart Disease Treatment

Depending on the severity and type of heart disease, treatment can involve any combination of medication, lifestyle modifications, and/or surgery to remove plaque in the arteries or blood clots.

Top Prescribed Heart Disease Medications

There are at least 12 primary types of drugs that are commonly used for the treatment of heart disease, each with their own set of pros and cons. Patients should discuss their unique symptoms with their doctor to get appropriate guidance as to which medication (and dosage) is most likely to work for them.

    Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE )Inhibitors

  • Lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil, Qbrelis)
  • Ramipril (Altace)
  • Enalapril (Vasotec)

    • Aldosterone Inhibitors

  • Spironolactone (Aldactone)
  • Eplerenone (Inspira)
  • Finerenone (Kerendia)

    • Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

  • Valsartan (Edarbi)
  • Candesartan (Atacand)
  • Eprosartan

    • Beta-Blockers

  • Nebivolol (Bystolic)
  • Metoprolol (Toprol-XL, Lopressor)
  • Atenolol (Tenormin)

    • Calcium Channel Blockers

  • Amlodipine (Norvasc)
  • Diltiazem (Cartia X, Cadizem)
  • Verapamil (Calan SR)

    • Digoxin

    Diurétiques

  • Acetazolamide (Diamox)
  • Furosemid (Lasix)
  • Pamabrom (Diurex Water Capsules)

    • Inotropic Therapy

    Potassium or Magnesium

    Protein Convertase Subtilisin Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) Inhibitors

  • Evolocumab (Repatha)
  • Alirocumab (Praluent)

    • Alirocumab (Praluent)

  • Alprostadil (Muse, Edex, Caverject)
  • Nitroglycerin (Nitro-Bid, Rectiv)
  • Hydralazine (Apresoline)

    • Warfarin