Atherosclerosis

• The most common systemic cardiac disease is atherosclerosis. It is characterized by narrowing of the arteries, which causes a disruption in the blood flow to the heart.
  
  

Hypertension

• Hypertension (high blood pressure) puts the heart under added stress, which can cause damage to the heart due to enlargement of the ventricles.
  
  

Fever

• Rheumatic fever can cause inflammation of the heart valves, which can lead to a permanently weakened heart. Other diseases may also cause damage to the heart valves and include ankylosing spondylitis, Marfan syndrome, tertiary syphilis and autoimmune diseases.
  
  

Cardiomyopathy

• Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscles. It can occur by itself or as a result of myocardium infiltration diseases (such as amyloidosis and Wilson's disease), endocrine diseases (such as diabetes), viral infections, muscular dystrophy, malnutrition and exposure to poisons.
  
  

Other

• Other systematic diseases that may also affect the heart include: malignant disease (such as tumors) nervous system disorders and kidney diseases.