Heart Diseases

What are heart diseases?

Heart diseases are a group of medical conditions that affect the heart and its function. 

Without treatment, these diseases increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. 

Some heart diseases present obvious symptoms, while others don’t. Routine checkups at LaSante Health Center can protect your cardiovascular health and provide peace of mind.

What are some of the most common heart diseases?

The LaSante Health Center team diagnoses and treats various heart diseases, including:

Heart failure

Heart failure affects your heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. If oxygen-rich blood can’t circulate throughout your body, it causes fatigue and shortness of breath. Healthy lifestyle changes often improve symptoms, but in severe cases, a heart transplant might be necessary.

Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias cause your heart to beat irregularly. For example, your heart might beat too fast or too slow. Certain types of arrhythmias are harmless, but others increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. 

Lipid disorders

Lipid disorders like high cholesterol cause fats to build up in your blood. Over time, these fats collect in the walls of your arteries, restricting blood flow and increasing your risk of cardiovascular dysfunction.

Valvular heart disease

Valvular heart disease affects your heart valves. If one or more heart valves don’t open or close all the way, it can affect blood flow throughout your body and increase the risk of more serious issues.

Congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects affect the way the heart forms in the womb. They’re the most common type of birth defect, affecting up to 40,000 American infants each year.

How are heart diseases treated?

Treatment of heart disease depends on the type, severity of your symptoms, and underlying cause. 

The LaSante Health Center team typically recommends a combination of healthy lifestyle changes and prescription medication. 

For example, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking can prevent certain conditions, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure from worsening. 

Some medications used to manage heart disease include:

• Beta-blockers
• Statins
• Diuretics (water pills)
• Anti-clotting drugs
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

If medication and healthy lifestyle changes don’t stop your heart disease from worsening, the team might recommend surgery. They refer you to a nearby cardiologist and coordinate treatment.

Call LaSante Health Center today to schedule heart disease treatment, or book your appointment online.