Your heart
Cardiovascular disease is a general term that covers all diseases affecting the heart (cardio) or blood vessels (vascular).
Heart diseases are many and varied, but here you can read about some of the main ones.
Any part of the heart can be affected by disease, including:
- heart valves
- muscular walls of the pumping chambers
- electrical conducting system
- blood vessels that supply the heart muscle
There is often an overlap between heart conditions. Patients may be affected by more than one condition at the same time or one condition may lead to another. For example, a patient may be affected by coronary artery disease, angina, heart attack and heart failure, or a child with congenital heart disease may have heart valve problems and heart failure.
Click on the buttons below to find out more about the specific heart conditions.
If you have any concerns regarding your health, please speak to your doctor. You can call NHS 111 for non-urgent medical enquiries or call 999 for urgent, emergency medical attention.
The content of this website is for education and information only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.
We can’t do this without you
Through pioneering research and accessible education, Heart Research UK aims to reduce the number of people developing and dying from heart disease, while improving and extending the lives of those affected.
As a charity, we can only do this with your help.
We must continue to do all we can to prevent and treat heart disease.
To help us fund more research and education, please make a small donation to help ensure we can continue our work, now and in the future.
