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,
Catherine Otto calcific (aortic stenosis) and received the 2011 American College of Cardiology Distinguished Scientist Award (Clinical Domain) for her research on this subject. In addition, Otto is the author of several cardiology books. In January, 2014, she was appointed editor-in-chief of "Heart", the official journal of the British Cardiovascular Society. Catherine Otto Catherine M. Otto is an echocardiography specialist, director of Training Programs in Cardiovascular Disease at Cardiology Division, University of Washington Medical Center, who has authored echocardiography textbooks. The major fields she works in are valvular heart disease, adult congenital heart disease, and echocardiography. She obtained a B.A. from Reed