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Heart disease can lead to heart failure, and heart failure can have serious or fatal consequences – but where does heart disease come from in the first place? Knowing the facts about heart disease can help you see whether or not you’re at risk.

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Here are some of the major types of heart disease and their causes.

Cardiovascular disease.“Cardiovascular disease” usually refers to atherosclerosis (build-up of fatty plaques in your blood vessels). Eventually, the walls of the blood vessels become thick and stiffened, preventing blood from flowing to your heart. This condition, known as “arteriosclerosis” or hardening of the arteries, can be caused by unhealthy diet patterns, smoking and obesity. Severe hardening of the arteries can lead to a heart attack (cardiac arrest).

Cardiomyopathy.Scientists are not sure what causes this condition (an enlarging or thickening of the heart muscle that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood). The three types of cardiomyopathy are dilated cardiomyopathy (an enlarged left ventricle), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (stiffening/thickening of the  main pumping chamber) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (stiffening of the entire heart muscle). Restrictive cardiopathy often occurs without an apparent reason.

Valvular heart disease. Disease of the heart valves also interferes with blood flow, and can be caused by a variety of factors, including infectious endocarditis, rheumatic fever, connective tissue disorder or cancer radiation treatments. Valvular heart disease can also be a hereditary condition.

(1) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/ds01120/dsection=causes