The cardiologist spoke about the causes and prevention of heart disease

On February 14, Anastasia Poskakalova, a cardiologist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia why they occur, how they are diagnosed, treated, and whether they can be prevented.

"Heart defects are anatomical defects of valves, septa, vessels, or chambers of the heart that disrupt normal blood flow. They can be congenital or acquired. The first ones occur during fetal development due to genetic factors, infections during the mother's pregnancy, such as rubella, as well as exposure to toxic substances, and ingestion of alcoholic beverages. Birth defects include defects of the atrial and interventricular septum," the doctor said.

In turn, acquired heart defects can develop during life due to certain diseases, for example, infectious endocarditis - inflammation of the inner lining of the heart; rheumatism; persistent arterial hypertension; after a myocardial infarction. In such cases, narrowing of the valves or their insufficiency occurs — the inability to close completely, which leads to a violation of blood flow.

"Clinical manifestations depend on the type of defect, the degree of its severity and the duration of its existence. Patients are often concerned about chest pain and shortness of breath, especially during physical exertion, a feeling of heart failure, swelling of the legs, and sometimes blue lips and fingers. If such symptoms occur, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, since some heart defects increase the risk of sudden cardiac death," the specialist said.

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Poskakalova noted that people began to contact cardiologists online more often: in 2025, the number of telemedicine consultations with doctors of this specialty increased by 33% compared to a year earlier. In addition, questions directly or indirectly related to cardiovascular diseases were included in the top 3 most popular user requests to the AI assistant in 2025, accounting for 17% of the total number of requests. He can, for example, explain the cause of certain symptoms, decipher the results of tests, make an individual plan for further diagnosis and advise the right doctor.

According to the cardiologist, a person may not know for a long time that he has a heart defect due to the body's good compensatory abilities — sometimes they are detected after many years. It is worth noting the importance of an annual routine medical examination, because in this way the doctor can listen to the heart and detect interruptions in its work, and according to the ECG data, suspect overload and rhythm disturbances, after which he will additionally prescribe echocardiography, which will allow to establish the disease.

If left untreated, for example, chronic heart failure may occur. This is a condition in which the heart cannot cope with its functions – contraction and relaxation, which is most often accompanied by fluid retention in the body.

In the presence of any heart defect, the chance of infectious endocarditis and cardiac arrhythmias increases. Also, some of the defects contribute to the formation of blood clots in the cavities of the heart, which can lead to the migration of blood clots to other organs, such as the brain, which leads to stroke.

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To diagnose heart defects, it is necessary to consult with a general practitioner or a cardiologist. He will prescribe a number of studies, including an ECG to assess the overload of the heart chambers and rhythm disturbances; an echocardiography to visualize anatomical defects and valve condition; an MRI of the chest to assess the structures of the heart in detail, especially before surgery.

"The development of telemedicine technologies makes it possible to have devices at hand that make it possible to quickly consult a doctor online at home. For example, a "smart" electronic stethoscope can help a doctor determine the presence of abnormalities in the work of the heart, and a "smart" tonometer allows you to track the dynamics of changes in blood pressure. Thanks to the use of such gadgets, the patient can be in touch with the doctor, receive recommendations for acute conditions at a convenient time and without unnecessary trips, which is especially important for families with young children and elderly relatives," the doctor added.

She said that the treatment is prescribed by a cardiologist, depending on the type of heart defect and the indications for a particular patient. Thus, to maintain the functioning of the heart, medication may be recommended, and in severe cases, surgical treatment may be performed to eliminate the defect.

"To prevent the development of congenital heart defects in a child, a woman who is planning pregnancy needs to clarify whether she has been vaccinated against rubella and measles and, if necessary, get the necessary vaccinations. During pregnancy planning and during pregnancy, it is important to take folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube malformations. If a woman has diabetes, it is important to adjust the blood glucose level, since the uncontrolled course of such a disease increases the risk of congenital heart defects in the fetus. Also, during pregnancy, it is necessary to follow a healthy lifestyle, refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking," Poskakalova said.

She added that in order to reduce the risk of acquired malformations, it is important to treat infectious diseases in a timely manner, monitor blood pressure levels and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

On February 3, Natalia Solovyova, MD, cardiologist at the Semeynaya Clinic Network, said that excessive sweating for no apparent reason is not just discomfort, but a possible signal from the body about serious cardiovascular diseases.

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