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The chemicals in tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke and smoke from pipes or cigars, can cause changes in the body. Body changes can include inflammation, damage to blood vessel walls, changes to heart rhythm, an increase in blood pressure, changes in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and thickened blood. Smoking can increase your risk for heart disease and peripheral artery disease.

Sudden cardiac arrest is an emergency. A person having sudden cardiac arrest needs to be treated with a defibrillator to send an electric shock to the heart right away to restore normal heart rhythm. Use of automated external defibrillators and CPR can be performed by bystanders. If you survive sudden cardiac arrest, you’ll likely be admitted to the hospital for ongoing care and treatment.

Ventricular fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia, causes most sudden cardiac arrests. Other problems with the heart's electrical system, including diseases or conditions that can cause the electrical problems—such as coronary heart disease, physical stress, certain inherited disorders, and structural changes in the heart—also can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

A stroke occurs when the flow of oxygen rich blood to a portion of the brain is interrupted, which can cause brain cells to die.

The main types of physical activity are aerobic, muscle-strengthening, bone-strengthening, and stretching. Aerobic activity, which makes your heart beat faster, provides the most benefit for your heart and lungs. Depending on your fitness level, aerobic activity can be light, moderate, or vigorous.

Physical activity is any body movement that works your muscles, which requires more energy than resting. Examples include walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga, and gardening. Exercise is a type of planned or structured physical activity.

Mitral valve prolapse can occur in anyone. However, aging and certain diseases—such as rheumatic fever, connective tissue disorders, Graves’ disease, scoliosis, and some types of muscular dystrophy—can increase the risk of developing the condition.

Making heart-healthy lifestyle choices is the best way to prevent metabolic syndrome by being physically active, following a heart-healthy eating plan, knowing your weight, waist measurement, and BMI, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Some people who have cardiomyopathy never have signs or symptoms or only have signs and symptoms in later stages of the disease. As cardiomyopathy worsens and the heart weakens, signs and symptoms of heart failure—trouble breathing, fatigue, and swelling—usually occur.

Hasta el momento, la EPOC no tiene cura. Sin embargo, los cambios en el estilo de vida y los tratamientos pueden lograr que usted se sienta mejor, permanezca más activo, y pueden retrasar la progresión de la enfermedad.