The difference between hyperthyroid heart disease and heart disease.

Written by Xie Zhi Hong

Cardiology

Updated on April 08, 2025

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Heart disease includes all phenomena of heart dysfunction caused by various reasons, which can collectively be referred to as heart disease. This includes arrhythmias, heart failure, and changes in the cardiac vessels, such as coronary heart disease, coronary artery bridging, and congenital heart disease, all of which are termed heart disease. Hyperthyroid heart disease, on the other hand, is caused by a long period of uncontrolled or untreated hyperthyroidism, leading to changes in heart function and structure. It manifests as palpitations, panic, and severe decline in heart function. It is merely one type of heart disease, representing the changes in the heart caused by hyperthyroidism, and is just a small category of heart disease.

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Symptoms of cor pulmonale

Cor pulmonale refers to a disease characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance due to pathologies of the bronchi, lung tissue, chest wall, and blood vessels of the lungs, leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension and structural and functional changes in the right ventricle. The common clinical symptoms of cor pulmonale include coughing, expectoration, shortness of breath, significant palpitations, and breathing difficulties after physical activity, reduced work capacity, and exacerbation of the above symptoms during acute infection phases. Some patients may experience chest pain and hemoptysis. The second set of symptoms relates to heart and lung function, manifesting during the decompensation phase. For instance, some patients may develop respiratory failure, and experience headaches, decreased appetite, drowsiness, significant edema in the lower extremities, and further symptoms such as arrhythmias, anorexia, abdominal distension, and nausea.

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Can people with heart disease soak their feet?

Patients with heart disease can soak their feet. Soaking feet can dilate peripheral blood vessels, promote the expansion of capillaries, accelerate blood flow, and help invigorate the blood and remove stasis. Especially when soaking feet, adding some blood-activating and channel-unblocking medicines can achieve better effects. Foot soaking for patients with heart disease can dilate peripheral blood vessels, reduce the blood returning to the heart, and lessen the burden on the heart. Particularly for patients with coronary artery atherosclerosis, foot soaking can enhance blood flow and invigorate the blood, which is beneficial for heart disease patients. However, do not soak for too long and the water level should not be too high.

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Premonitory signs of a sudden heart attack

Sudden heart disease primarily refers to the sudden onset of acute myocardial infarction. Between 50% to 81.2% of patients have prodromal symptoms, experiencing significant chest discomfort, fatigue, palpitations during activity, shortness of breath, irritability, and angina in the days before the onset, with the most prominent being new or worsening angina. The angina is more frequent than before, more severe, lasts longer, and nitroglycerin relief is not significantly apparent; the triggers are also unclear. Sometimes, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and upper abdominal bloating occur and are often misdiagnosed, causing delays in treatment.

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Cardiology

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Is hyperthyroid heart disease dangerous?

Hyperthyroidism can repeatedly cause an increase in heart rate and metabolism, which is quite active, causing a long-term overload of heart function, leading to the formation of hyperthyroid heart disease, a chronic pathological change process. In the middle and early stages, it generally does not pose a life-threatening risk, only manifesting symptoms such as palpitations, tightness after activity, breathlessness, or chest tightness, which can improve with rest. However, if hyperthyroidism is not cured for a long time, or if hyperthyroid heart disease is not treated in time, it can lead to severe heart failure. If there is a severe decline in heart pump function, causing the ejection fraction to be below 30%, it can easily cause sudden pump failure or severe arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, posing a life-threatening risk to the patient.

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Can people with heart disease drink alcohol?

Patients with heart disease should not drink alcohol, especially those with severe heart conditions, including heart failure and arrhythmias. Drinking alcohol can excite the sympathetic nervous system, increase heart rate, enhance myocardial oxygen consumption, increase cardiac burden, and worsen arrhythmias and heart failure. Additionally, patients with organic heart disease who regularly require medication should avoid alcohol. Alcohol can chemically interact with certain medications or reduce their effectiveness, potentially harming the body.