“What is heart disease?”

Usually refers to coronary artery disease.

There are many forms of heart disease - heart attacks, heart rhythm disorders, valve abnormalities, etc. Usually, when it runs in families it suggests heart attack, but you will know best from your own family history. 

Regards,

Gerald Lewis, MD

Heart disease is a generic term that applies to essentially anything wrong with the heart (i.e., artery blockages, heart attacks, valve problems, weak heart muscle such as congestive heart failure, etc.), however, since coronary artery disease with associated heart attacks, stents, and bypasses are so common, most people use the term "heart disease" when they mean "coronary artery disease."