Cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart arrhythmia, congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, carditis, aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, thromboembolic disease, and venous thrombosis. The underlying mechanisms vary depending on the disease. Coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease involve atherosclerosis. This may be caused by high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise, obesity,
Salt and cardiovascular disease in fat and calories per day (11g, 200cal), and weight loss of 1 to 3 pounds. A 2014 Cochrane review found evidence that salt reduction prevented cardiovascular disease, but that the magnitude of the effect was uncertain and "larger than would be predicted from the small blood pressure reductions achieved." The World Health Organization issued a 2014 fact sheet to encourage reducing global salt consumption by 30% through 2025. In 2015, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began an initiative encouraging Americans to reduce their consumption of salty foods. The American Heart Association defined a daily sodium