ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), in broad terms, comprises diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and circulation. The most common CVDs are hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease (aneurysms and peripheral arterial disease [PAD]; see Table 1.1). Other CVDs include congenital heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias. Some researchers use the term coronary heart disease (CHD) interchangeably with CAD. However, CAD more speciWcally refers to atherosclerotic disease of the coronary arteries, whereas CHD can be caused by atherosclerotic and nonatherosclerotic (e.g., autoimmune, infectious) processes. This chapter provides an overview of the prevalence and clinical manifestations of hypertension and the atherosclerotic diseases examined in subsequent chapters of this book.
