20 Astonishing Varieties of Heart Disease: Your Ultimate Roadmap to Cardiac Chaos

5. Coronary Vascular Disease

Coronary vascular disease is a type of heart disease where the coronary arteries do not work properly due to blood vessel abnormalities unrelated to plaque buildup. Most coronary vascular diseases are in the form of an anomalous coronary artery. This is where the artery has a malformation or abnormality. Some cases of anomalous coronary arteries are related to an irregular location of one or both of the coronary arteries. Others are related to abnormalities of the coronary artery shape and size. In addition, several other types of vascular disease can affect the coronary arteries. An aneurysm is a form of vascular disease that can occur in the coronary arteries where the artery wall bulges or balloons. Blood vessel spasms that arise due to Raynaud's disease or another mechanism can cause coronary vasospasm. This is where the coronary arteries inappropriately contract and restrict blood flow to the heart tissues. A coronary artery dissection is a form of vascular disease where the artery wall experiences a tear that may enlarge over time. Another type of vascular disease that can affect the coronary arteries is called systemic vasculitis, where the coronary arteries become inflamed due to an infection or an abnormal immune response.

6. Congenital Heart Defects

As the name suggests, congenital heart defects are heart issues that are present at birth. Specifically, this means that the heart or vessels around the heart do not develop properly before the baby is born. In many instances, the affected baby will require heart surgery either immediately after birth or within the first few years of their life, depending on the specific heart defect. There are many potential congenital heart defects out there. One example is pulmonary atresia, which is a condition where the baby's pulmonary valve does not form correctly or at all. This is the valve that controls the flow of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. Pulmonary atresia means that blood cannot flow to the lung to pick up oxygen. Many patients need medication to improve blood flow until they can receive surgery to widen or replace the valve. Other congenital heart defects include tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein anomaly, atrial septal defect, and truncus ateriosus.