Cardiology Degenerative Flashcards
Cardiomyopathy
- Dilated
- Restricted
- Hypertrophic
A disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. Cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure. The main types of cardiomyopathy include dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive cardiomyopathy
SYMPTOMS: Breathlessness with activity or even at rest.
Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet.
Bloating of the abdomen due to fluid buildup.
Cough while lying down.
Difficulty lying flat to sleep.
Fatigue.
Heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering.
Chest discomfort or pressure.
CAUSE: Viral infections in the heart are a major cause of cardiomyopathy. In some cases, another disease or its treatment causes cardiomyopathy. This might include complex congenital (present at birth) heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, uncontrollable, fast heart rhythms, or certain types of chemotherapy for cancer.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
A type of heart muscle disease that causes the heart chambers (ventricles) to thin and stretch, growing larger. It typically starts in the heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle). Dilated cardiomyopathy makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.
SYMPTOMS: Chest pain.
Fatigue.
Feeling of fluttering or palpitations in the chest.
Heart murmur.
Trouble breathing because of fluid in the lungs.
Swollen legs, ankles and belly.
CAUSE: The cause of dilated cardiomyopathy often isn’t known. Up to one-third of the people who have it inherit it from their parents. Some diseases, conditions and substances also can cause the disease, such as: Coronary heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, viral hepatitis and HIV.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
A condition affecting the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart. The walls of the left ventricle become thick and stiff. Over time, the heart can’t take in or pump out enough blood during each heartbeat to supply the body’s needs.
SYMPTOMS: Arrhythmia (irregular heart rate or rhythm)
Chest pain, especially during activity.
Fatigue.
Fluttering or pounding feeling in the chest.
Heart murmur.
Lightheadedness or dizziness.
Fainting.
Shortness of breath, especially during activity.
CAUSE: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is usually caused by changes in genes (gene mutations) that cause the heart muscle to thicken. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy typically affects the muscular wall (septum) between the two bottom chambers of the heart (ventricles). The thickened wall might block blood flow out of the heart.
Aortic Insufficiency
A heart valve disease where the aortic valve no longer functions adequately to control the flow of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. Commonly, aortic insufficiency shows no symptoms for many years. Symptoms may then occur gradually or suddenly.
SYMPTOMS: Shortness of breath upon exertion or when lying flat.
Coughing and shortness of breath at night.
Rapid, fluttering heartbeat (palpitations)
Angina (chest pain)
Swelling of legs and feet.
CAUSE: The aortic valve has flaps (called cusps or leaflets) that control the blood flow through the valve. If those flaps fail to close tightly, the result is a leaky aortic valve, causing aortic insufficiency. Aortic regurgitation allows some of the blood that was pumped out of the left ventricle to leak back in.
Mitral Insufficiency
The most common form of valvular heart disease, occurs when the mitral valve does not close properly, allowing blood to flow backwards into the heart. As a result, the heart cannot pump efficiently, causing symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath
SYMPTOMS: Heart murmur.
Shortness of breath, upon exertion or when lying flat.
Coughing during the night.
Accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
Fatigue.
Swelling of legs and feet.
CAUSE: May occur because of problems with the valve the left ventricle. You are at an increased risk for mitral insufficiency as you age, if you’ve had rheumatic fever. Heart failure and coronary artery disease also put you at an elevated risk.
Pulmonary Valve Regurgitation
Occurs when the pulmonary valve doesn’t completely close and allows some blood to leak back into the heart. This condition is also known as pulmonic regurgitation, pulmonic insufficiency and pulmonary insufficiency.
SYMPTOMS: Difficulty breathing and fatigue, especially during exercise.
Chest pain, such as squeezing, pressure or tightness.
Sensation of rapid or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
Swelling of the legs or feet.
Dizziness or fainting.
Bluish discoloration of the nails and lips (cyanosis)
CAUSE: Pulmonary hypertension. Infective endocarditis. Rheumatic heart disease.
Tricuspid Regurgitation
Or tricuspid valve regurgitation, occurs when the valve’s flaps (cusps or leaflets) do not close properly. Blood can leak backward into the atrium from the leaky tricuspid valve, causing your heart to pump harder to move blood through the valve.
SYMPTOMS: Fatigue.
Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
Pulsing in the neck.
Shortness of breath with activity.
Swelling in the belly area (abdomen), legs or neck veins.
CAUSE: The most common cause of tricuspid regurgitation is enlargement of the right ventricle. Pressure from heart conditions, such as heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and cardiomyopathy, cause the ventricle to expand. The result is a misshapen tricuspid valve that cannot close properly and can leak.
Mitral Valve Prolapse
A type of heart valve disease that affects the valve between the left heart chambers. The flaps (leaflets) of the mitral valve are floppy. They bulge backward (prolapse) like a parachute into the heart’s left upper chamber as the heart squeezes (contracts).
Mitral valve prolapse sometimes causes blood to leak backward across the valve, a condition called mitral valve regurgitation.
Usually, mitral valve prolapse isn’t life-threatening and doesn’t require treatment or lifestyle changes. But some people may need medications or surgery, especially if the prolapse causes severe regurgitation.
SYMPTOMS: A racing or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, especially during exercise or when lying flat
Fatigue
CAUSE: The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart that keep blood flowing in the right direction. Each valve has flaps (leaflets) that open and close once during each heartbeat. If a valve doesn’t open or close properly, blood flow through the heart to the body can be reduced.
In mitral valve prolapse, one or both of the mitral valve leaflets have extra tissue or stretch more than usual. The leaflets can bulge backward (prolapse) like a parachute into the left upper heart chamber (left atrium) each time the heart contracts to pump blood.
The bulging may keep the valve from closing tightly. If blood leaks backward through the valve, the condition is called mitral valve regurgitation.
Mitral valve prolapse can develop in any person at any age. Serious symptoms of mitral valve prolapse tend to occur most often in men older than 50.
Mitral valve prolapse can occur in families (be inherited) and may be linked to several other conditions, including:
Ebstein anomaly
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Graves’ disease
Marfan syndrome
Muscular dystrophy
Scoliosis
Right-Sided Heart Failure
The heart’s right ventricle is too weak to pump enough blood to the lungs. As a result: Blood builds up in the veins, vessels that carry blood from the body back to the heart. This buildup increases pressure in the veins.
SYMPTOMS: Fainting spells during activity.
Chest discomfort, usually in the front of the chest.
Chest pain.
Swelling of the feet or ankles.
Symptoms of lung disorders, such as wheezing or coughing or phlegm production.
Bluish lips and fingers (cyanosis)
CAUSE: High blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs is called pulmonary hypertension. It is the most common cause of cor pulmonale. In people who have pulmonary hypertension, changes in the small blood vessels inside the lungs can lead to increased blood pressure in the right side of the heart.
Left-Sided Heart Failure
The left ventricle of the heart no longer pumps enough blood around the body. As a result, blood builds up in the pulmonary veins (the blood vessels that carry blood away from the lungs). This causes shortness of breath, trouble breathing or coughing – especially during physical activity
SYMPTOMS: Constant coughing.
Shortness of breath with walking or bending over.
Waking up short of breath or unable to lie flat at night.
Weight gain.
Swelling (edema) in your ankles, legs or abdomen.
CAUSE: Usually caused by coronary artery disease (CAD), a heart attack or long-term high blood pressure. Right-sided heart failure generally develops as a result of advanced left-sided heart failure, and is then treated in the same way.
Congestive Heart Failure
Occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. When this happens, blood often backs up and fluid can build up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath.
SYMPTOMS: Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down.
Fatigue and weakness.
Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet.
Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Reduced ability to exercise.
Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged mucus.
Swelling of the belly area (abdomen)
CAUSE: The most common cause of congestive heart failure is coronary artery disease. Risk factors for coronary artery disease include: high levels of cholesterol and/or triglyceride in the blood. high blood pressure.
Aortic Valve Stenosis
Or aortic stenosis — is a type of heart valve disease (valvular heart disease). The valve between the lower left heart chamber and the body’s main artery (aorta) is narrowed and doesn’t open fully. This reduces or blocks blood flow from the heart to the aorta and to the rest of the body.
SYMPTOMS: An irregular heart sound (heart murmur) heard through a stethoscope.
Chest pain (angina) or tightness with activity.
Feeling faint or dizzy or fainting with activity.
Shortness of breath, especially with activity.
Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity.
CAUSE: Most commonly caused by calcium buildup on the aortic valve over time. These calcium deposits that often come with age make the valve tissue stiff, narrow, and unyielding.
Mitral Valve Stenosis
Sometimes called mitral stenosis — is a narrowing of the valve between the two left heart chambers. The narrowed valve reduces or blocks blood flow into the heart’s main pumping chamber. The heart’s main pumping chamber is the lower left heart chamber, also called the left ventricle.
SYMPTOMS: Shortness of breath, especially with activity or when you lie down.
Fatigue, especially during increased activity.
Swollen feet or legs.
Sensations of a fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat.
Dizziness or fainting.
Irregular heart sound, also called a heart murmur.
CAUSE: The most common cause of mitral stenosis is rheumatic fever — a complication of strep throat. This infection can scar the mitral valve, causing it to narrow. While rheumatic fever is rare in the United States, it is still common in developing countries.
Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
A narrowing of the valve between the lower right heart chamber and the lung arteries. In a narrowed heart valve, the valve flaps may become thick or stiff. This reduces blood flow through the valve. Usually, pulmonary valve disease is caused by a heart problem that develops before birth.
SYMPTOMS:
A whooshing sound called a heart murmur that can be heard with a stethoscope. Fatigue. Shortness of breath, especially during activity.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you or your child has:
Shortness of breath.
Chest pain.
Fainting.
CAUSE: Pulmonary valve stenosis usually results from a heart problem present at birth. The exact cause is unclear. The pulmonary valve doesn’t develop properly as the baby is growing in the womb. The pulmonary valve is made of three thin pieces of tissue called flaps, also called cusps
Tricuspid Valve Stenosis
A narrowing of the tricuspid valve opening. Tricuspid stenosis restricts blood flow between the upper (atrium) and lower (ventricle) part of the right side of the heart.
SYMPTOMS: The most common symptoms of tricuspid valve stenosis are fluttering discomfort in the neck and an irregular heartbeat.
Other symptoms of tricuspid stenosis include:
Cold skin.
Fatigue.
Shortness of breath with activity.
Enlarged liver.
CAUSE: The most common cause of tricuspid valve stenosis is rheumatic fever, which develops from untreated strep throat. Although it is rare, tricuspid valve stenosis can also occur during fetal development as a congenital heart defect, from a tumor or from connective tissue disorder.
