Heart Disease Health Center

Men and Heart Disease

Pericarditis

Pericarditis is inflammation of the lining that surrounds the heart. It is a rare condition often caused by an infection.

Aorta Disease and Marfan syndrome

The aorta is the large artery that leaves the heart and provides oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. These diseases and conditions can cause the aorta to dilate (widen) or dissect (tear), increasing the risk for future life-threatening events:

• Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
• Hypertension (high blood pressure).
• Genetic conditions, such as Marfan Syndrome, which causes the aorta to be weakened as it leaves the heart. This can lead to an aneurysm or ripping (dissection) of the aorta. Both can be repaired with surgery if caught early.
• Connective tissue disorders (that affect the strength of the blood vessel walls) such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, scleroderma, osteogenesis imperfecta, polycystic kidney disease, and Turner's syndrome.
• Injury.

People with aortic disease should be treated by an experienced team of heart specialists and surgeons.

Other Vascular Diseases

Your circulatory system is the system of blood vessels that carry blood to every part of your body.

Vascular disease includes any condition that affects your circulatory system. These include diseases of the arteries and blood flow to the brain.