Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Lifestyle-Related and Functional Disorders
Number of Conditions: 3
Obesity-Related Cardiovascular Disease
Specialty: Cardiovascular
Category: Other Cardiovascular Conditions
Sub-category: Lifestyle-Related and Functional Disorders
Symptoms:
shortness of breath during exertion; chest discomfort; fatigue; swelling in extremities (edema); high blood pressure
Root Cause:
Excess body fat contributes to systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and increased cardiac workload, leading to conditions like heart failure, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Body mass index (BMI ≥30), waist-to-hip ratio, clinical evaluation of cardiovascular health (e.g., echocardiogram, ECG, lipid panel, blood pressure monitoring).
Treatment:
Weight loss via lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery for severe cases, and management of cardiovascular complications (e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia).
Medications:
Weight-loss medications (e.g., orlistat , liraglutide ); statins for cholesterol (e.g., rosuvastatin ); antihypertensives (e.g., beta-blockers like metoprolol ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 40% of adults in high-income countries, with obesity contributing significantly to the global burden of cardiovascular disease.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Poor diet, physical inactivity, genetic predisposition, socioeconomic status, and comorbid conditions like diabetes.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Improvement is possible with significant weight loss and treatment of related conditions; untreated obesity increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, and stroke.
Cardiac Syndrome X (Microvascular Angina)
Specialty: Cardiovascular
Category: Other Cardiovascular Conditions
Sub-category: Lifestyle-Related and Functional Disorders
Symptoms:
chest pain during physical or emotional stress; fatigue; shortness of breath; chest tightness without coronary artery blockages
Root Cause:
Impaired blood flow in the coronary microvasculature due to endothelial dysfunction or increased sensitivity to stimuli, without significant large coronary artery blockages.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Exclusion of coronary artery disease via angiography; stress testing; coronary flow reserve measurement using imaging like PET or cardiac MRI.
Treatment:
Symptom management with lifestyle changes, medications, and stress reduction techniques.
Medications:
Beta-blockers (e.g., atenolol ) to reduce heart workload, calcium channel blockers (e.g., diltiazem ) to improve blood flow, and nitrates (e.g., nitroglycerin ) for angina relief. Antiplatelets (e.g., aspirin ) may be considered.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 2-4% of patients undergoing angiography for chest pain, more common in women than men.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Female sex (postmenopausal), hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and chronic stress.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good prognosis as it’s not usually associated with myocardial infarction; symptoms can be persistent but manageable.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic angina, reduced quality of life, and potential overlap with other cardiovascular conditions.
Deconditioning (from Prolonged Inactivity)
Specialty: Cardiovascular
Category: Other Cardiovascular Conditions
Sub-category: Lifestyle-Related and Functional Disorders
Symptoms:
fatigue; reduced exercise tolerance; shortness of breath; muscle weakness; lightheadedness
Root Cause:
Loss of cardiovascular and muscular efficiency due to prolonged physical inactivity, leading to reduced cardiac output, muscle atrophy, and orthostatic intolerance.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation; exercise stress testing; assessment of muscle strength and endurance; postural vital sign measurements (e.g., orthostatic hypotension).
Treatment:
Gradual reconditioning with supervised exercise programs (e.g., aerobic and resistance training), physical therapy, and dietary optimization.
Medications:
Medications are typically not necessary unless treating underlying conditions such as orthostatic hypotension (e.g., midodrine ) or cardiac issues (e.g., beta-blockers).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in individuals with prolonged hospitalization, chronic illness, or sedentary lifestyles; prevalence increases with age.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Bed rest, chronic illness, aging, sedentary lifestyle, prolonged recovery after injury or surgery.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Full recovery is possible with proper rehabilitation; untreated deconditioning can lead to chronic fatigue, frailty, and cardiovascular decline.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Increased risk of falls, cardiovascular decompensation, and prolonged recovery from illness or surgery.