History of Cardiovascular Disease: An Overview

The term "cardiovascular disease" is often used interchangeably with “heart disease” because both terms refer to diseases of the heart or arteries. Whatever name is used — cardiovascular disease or heart disease – it is clear that diseases of the heart and blood vessels are serious problems. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 worldwide killer of men and women, as mention previously under “Cardiovascular Disease Statistics”1 Cardiovascular disease is an established chronic disease for the population of developed and developing countries. Chronic diseases are illnesses that are the number one cause of death in industrialized countries.2