The stress associated with all the aspects of modern life, social, professional and emotional, coupled with the lifestyle choices that we make, all work together to create conditions where the strain on the heart increases and the possibility of cardiac problems rises significantly. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for both men and women. Cardiovascular disease, as it is also known, refers to any medical condition that affects the heart or the blood vessels, or both. The most common heart diseases are: