Heart problems – symptoms & treatments

What heart problems are there?

Heart problems mainly affect people over the age of 50 because they are more likely to have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in Switzerland – more than 20,000 people die from them every year. Lifestyle is not the only factor that influences heart health. There are also congenital heart diseases or people who have a predisposition to heart problems.

Heart disease symptoms

Heart problems can manifest themselves in various ways: if the heart stops for a beat, the pulse races, the heart rate changes, the chest hurts, you notice your heart fibrillating, or you suddenly suffer from shortness of breath. The list of symptoms of heart disease is long and can affect all parts of the heart. If you notice any signs, you should consult a doctor quickly. Maybe there is a heart disease behind it. It is important to take heart problems seriously and to have a thorough examination to determine the cause and, if necessary, initiate the right treatment.

Good to know: Symptoms, for example of a heart attack, can differ between women and men and can even vary from person to person for the same illness.

Expertise & innovation at the USZ on the topic of the heart

Andreas Grüntzig invented the cardiac catheter at the USZ back in 1977 and used it for the first time. Numerous people at the USZ also conduct research into the heart and its diseases. Even today, we are constantly working on innovations relating to the heart. We not only have heart specialists among our doctors, but also in nursing – with our own specialized consultation hours.

Heart prevention and therapy

There is a general cardiology consultation, one for valvular heart disease, heart failure, congenital heart defects, a sports cardiology consultation and many more – a total of 22 on the subject of the heart. Prevention is the best way to avoid heart disease in the first place. The Department of Preventive Cardiology holds several special consultations focusing on the positive influence of cardiovascular risk factors.

How can heart and brain attacks be prevented?

If the eight controllable risk factors of hypercholesterolemia, nicotine abuse, stress, arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet were controlled, over 90 percent of all heart and cerebral infarctions could be prevented. Secondary prophylaxis is also important after a heart attack to prevent a repeat infarction.