Ischaemia means a "reduced blood supply".

Two of the most common indications of cardiovascular disease are angina pectoris (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack). The pain felt in angina pectoris occurs because blocked arteries prevent an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients from reaching the heart. The main causes of stable angina are:increased physical effort, emotional stress, exposure to secondhand smoke, or even by certain meals or weather changes. Unstable angina can occur during rest or even while sleeping and is often considered to be an intermediate condition between stable angina and a full blown heart attack. Angina is treated medically with nitroglycerin, beta- blockers or calcium entry blockers.

It seems that cardiovascular disease doesn’t appear at other mammals. Scientists think that the cause is our inability to produce vitamin C. The lack of vitamin C is an important factor of risk of heart disease. Vitamin C helps to strengthen the artery walls by building up their collagen content.

There are two types of treatment of cardiovascular disease:

~conventional treatment,which employs surgery and drugs to treat the symptoms of cardiovascular disease but rarely gets to the root cause of the disease;

~alternative treatment,which bolsters the body's innate healing powers and focus on removing the cause of the disease rather than on treating its symptoms.

The most useful non-invasive tests for diagnosing early heart disease are:

~Electrocardiogram taken while resting and during exercise,which measures electrical activity of the heart;

~ Radioisotope studies,which are very useful in spotting inadequate blood flow in and around the heart;

~ Echocardiography,which is used for evaluating the heart's performance;

~Other non-invasive procedures include positron emission tomography (PET scanning), CT scanning, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The alternative treatment aim at containing and reversing the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease. It’s easier to prevent than to treat. Diet and lifestyle changes are perhaps the most important tools in the natural treatment of cardiovascular disease.Doctors recommend a diet devoid of animal products (except egg whites and nonfat dairy products) and very low in fats and cholesterol,giving up smoking and a program of moderate exercise.