by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

Confused about heart disease terminology?  Visit my patient-friendly, no-jargon glossary of hundreds of confusing phrases, abbreviations and acronyms in cardiology.  Meanwhile, here are some basic definitions you need to know about women’s heart disease:

Heart disease (or cardiac disease) is any kind of disease that affects the heart, like:

• heart failure
• angina (any pain between neck and navel that typically comes on with exertion and goes away with rest)
• arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms)
• valvular heart disease
• coronary artery disease (CAD) 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not the same as heart disease.  Cardio refers to the heart and vascular refers to blood vessels.  CVD affects the heart and/or blood vessels: click to continue reading…