Congenital Heart Disease Vs. Coronary Heart Disease

Both coronary and congenital heart disease affect the mechanism that pumps blood and oxygen throughout the body. But there is a vast difference in the ages of those who suffer from these two conditions.

Identification

• The difference between congenital heart disease and coronary heart disease is best summarized as the difference between defect and disease. The word congenital is defined as "existing at birth", while coronary heart disease develops over time.

Congenital

• Congenital heart disease affects 32,000 newborns each year in the United States. "Congenital heart defects are the most common type of major birth defect," according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Coronary

• Coronary heart disease is also referred to as coronary artery disease. It primarily impacts individuals above the age of 40. It is typically environmental in nature, often resulting from smoking, lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet.

Prognosis

• A congenital heart defect typically led to early death just a few decades ago, but 75 percent of those born today with congenital defects live long into adulthood. "Three quarters of these babies died in infancy or early childhood in the past," says The Yale University School of Medicine.

Prevention/Solution

• The odds of surviving coronary heart disease have also increased dramatically, provided patients abandon unhealthy lifestyle habits and receive proper medical care, including medication and surgical procedures. There is no known way to prevent congenital defects.