The CVD medical abbreviation most often means cardiovascular disease, a broad term for conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. In some notes it means cerebrovascular disease, which concerns the blood vessels of the brain, and in older rheumatology records it can mean collagen vascular disease.
Because the letters cover more than one idea, the specialty and the surrounding text reveal which meaning the writer had in mind. A cardiology problem list points to the heart, a neurology consult may point to the brain, and a list of autoimmune findings points to connective tissue disease. The sections below sort out each reading with sample lines.
At a glance
Stands for
Cardiovascular disease (most common)Other meanings
Cerebrovascular disease; collagen vascular diseaseRelated term
ASCVD, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseaseUsed in
Primary care, cardiology, neurology, public healthWhere you see it
Past medical history, risk reports, problem listsDo not confuse with
CVA, a stroke event
Cardiovascular disease: the usual CVD medical abbreviation
In most charts CVD is an umbrella for problems of the heart and blood vessels. It includes coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, many rhythm problems, peripheral artery disease and, in public health writing, stroke. The World Health Organization ranks cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death worldwide, which is why the term appears so often in screening and prevention material.
Many of these conditions share causes: plaque buildup in arteries, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and inactivity. When the cause is plaque in the arteries, clinicians often write ASCVD, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and a risk calculator may report a ten year ASCVD risk percentage.
When CVD points to the brain instead
Neurologists and some hospital notes use CVD for cerebrovascular disease, meaning disease of the arteries that supply the brain. It covers narrowed carotid arteries, small vessel changes seen on brain scans, and past strokes or mini strokes. An MRI report might mention chronic small vessel ischemic changes and the assessment might list CVD.
The event itself, a stroke, has its own shorthand: CVA for cerebrovascular accident, and TIA for a transient ischemic attack whose symptoms clear. CVD in this sense describes the underlying vessel disease rather than one event.
Collagen vascular disease in older records
Collagen vascular disease is an older name for a group of autoimmune connective tissue diseases, such as lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and dermatomyositis. Today rheumatologists usually prefer connective tissue disease, written CTD, but CVD with this meaning still turns up in older charts, lung disease notes and pathology reports. A clue is when the note also mentions antibodies, joint findings or skin thickening.
Telling the meanings apart in a chart
The words around the abbreviation usually settle it.
| Clue in the note | Likely meaning |
|---|---|
| Mentions of CABG, stents, chest pain, cholesterol | Cardiovascular disease |
| Carotid stenosis, past stroke, MRI brain findings | Cerebrovascular disease |
| ANA, lupus, scleroderma, interstitial lung disease | Collagen vascular disease |
| Risk score or prevention counseling | Cardiovascular disease |
History line: "PMH: HTN, HLD, CVD s/p CABG x3, former smoker." The bypass surgery makes this cardiovascular disease. The patient has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease treated with a triple bypass.
Risk factors that often travel with CVD
Notes that mention cardiovascular disease often list its risk factors nearby, which helps readers recognize the meaning. Common ones include HTN for hypertension, HLD for hyperlipidemia, DM for diabetes, tobacco use, obesity and a family history of early heart disease. Chronic kidney disease also raises risk. Prevention plans often target blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, activity and smoking together, since they add to one another.
For students and coders reading CVD
Because CVD has several meanings, many training programs teach students to write the full term in notes, or at least to make sure surrounding details make the meaning obvious. Medical coders cannot code from an ambiguous abbreviation alone. They look for the specific condition, such as coronary artery disease or a prior stroke, and query the provider when the record is unclear. Practice with similar multi meaning labels using the diagnosis abbreviations page for practice.
This is a general explanation of a chart abbreviation. If CVD appears in your own record and the meaning is not clear, ask the author of the note to spell out the full term.
Frequently asked questions
What does CVD mean in medical terms?
It most often means cardiovascular disease, conditions of the heart and blood vessels. It can also mean cerebrovascular disease of the brain's arteries, or collagen vascular disease, an older name for autoimmune connective tissue diseases.
Is CVD the same as heart disease?
Heart disease is part of CVD, but cardiovascular disease is broader. It also includes problems with arteries and veins elsewhere in the body, and in many public health reports it includes stroke.
What is the difference between CVD and CVA?
CVD is a disease category, usually cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease. CVA means cerebrovascular accident, which is a specific stroke event. A person with cerebrovascular disease may or may not have had a CVA.
What does ASCVD mean?
ASCVD stands for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, meaning heart and vessel disease caused by plaque in the arteries. It is often paired with a risk score that estimates the chance of a heart attack or stroke over ten years.