Cardiovascular Disease

Arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries due to the build up of plaque or fatty deposits, leading to serious complications unless properly treated. Arteriosclerosis can occur anywhere in...

A vascular surgeon performs surgery on the carotid artery--either a carotid endarterectomy or angioplasty--to help rid the artery of plaque buildup or blockages. Vascular surgeons undergo years of...

Diet can help improve peripheral vascular disease, a condition that disables approximately 1 million Americans each year due to clogged leg arteries.

Normal blood pressure fluctuates by 30 to 40 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) in reaction to emotional or physical stress. According to the National Blood, Heart, and Lung Institute, people who are...

You may not be a cardiologist, but you can glean a certain amount of information from the lines on an electrocardiogram (EKG). Still, it's important to leave the true reading and diagnosis to...

Hypertension is a condition in which the pressure of blood flow inside the circulatory system is too high. For healthy people, systolic blood pressure is 140 mm Hg or less, while diastolic...

Poor circulation in your lower limbs is often the result of peripheral vascular disease which includes a group of circulation conditions. Atherosclerosis (also known as hardening of the arteries)...

Coronary artery disease damages the arteries that supply the heart with blood. The artery damage is usually caused by an accumulation of fatty deposits in these blood vessels. Doctors use...

According to the Centers for Disease Control, cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the leading cause of death among Americans in 2006. Recognizing the symptoms of CVD can improve health outcomes and...

Pulmonary stenosis is a congenital defect of the heart that affects the valve found between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary valve is composed of three "leaflets" that...

Most people know about donating organs, but few people know that you can donate pacemakers as well. Pacemakers are removed before cremation or burial, especially before cremation because they can...

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are the molecules responsible for depositing fatty cholesterol particles in human arteries. Levels of LDL below 130 are considered low-risk for cardiovascular...

Also known as a stress test, a treadmill test consists of exercising on a treadmill at a medical facility. A treadmill test helps the doctor assess the possibility of coronary artery disease, or...

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common problem that affects the blood vessels. While causes can vary, hypertension must be treated in order to prevent serious health problems.

Your heart has four valves (tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic). Each valve plays an important role in making sure that your blood is flowing in the right direction through the four chambers...

While some triglycerides are necessary to provide energy for the body, too much triglycerides in the body, or hypertriglyceridemia, increases the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and...

All surgeries carry some risk of complications. Cardiovascular surgery may result in some minor complications that require little to no treatment, or more serious complications that may include...

On each side of the neck is a carotid artery which supplies the head, neck and brain with oxygenated blood. These arteries can become blocked by deposits of a fatty substance known as plaque.

High levels of LDL---or "bad"---cholesterol leave deposits on artery walls that form plaque and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes. According to a Johns...

Heart rate monitors provide a window into heart function by translating the electrical activity of the heart into audible or visual readings. Monitors can detect heart disease and/or heart rhythm...

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease and the most prevalent cause of death for both genders in the...

Drug interactions are always a looming hazard when combining medications, even with something seemingly as benign as weight loss products and supplements. There are many different types of heart...

Varicose veins are enlarged, coiled veins. Any vein can become varicose, but they usually occur in the leg because standing puts added pressure on the veins in the leg. Ablation is one of many...

A deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins, usually in the legs. The condition can be very dangerous if the clot travels to the lungs. There are many risk...

Blood pressure measures how hard the heart works while pumping blood around the body. Blood pressure readings of unreasonably high or low numbers indicate various health problems.

Although light to moderate alcohol consumption may reduce some risk factors of heart disease, doctors do not recommend it. They know too many people already drink heavily or have patterns which...

An arrhythmia is when your heart rate is outside of the normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute. A fast heart rate is called a tachyarrhythmia or a tachycardia. When your body needs more...

Beta blocker drugs are commonly used to treat cardiac and other conditions. The efficacy these drugs have in patients are due largely to the fact that they have more than one site of action in the...

A lipid panel, or cholesterol test, is used to determine levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. According to the Mayo Clinic, lipid panels are important in assessing if you are at...

Sometimes called periphery arterial disease, leg artery disease is a condition where deposits of fat clog the blood vessels that carry blood to your legs or feet, resulting in poor circulation....

The human body has a complex system of blood vessels that allow blood to travel throughout the body. Arteries and veins are two of the main components of this system. Both equally important,...

An abdominal aortic aneurysm, a type of peripheral vascular disease, is more likely to form in individuals already suffering from other such diseases of the cardiovascular system. Each requires...

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or PCI, is known by many other names. PCI has been called angioplasty. PCI is used for part of the treatment of coronary heart disease or a number of other...

The therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) diet is a heart-healthy eating approach developed by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's National Cholesterol...

When a doctor suspects that a patient has acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which is usually a sign of a heart attack or angina, he will likely order a cardiac biomarker test, which measures a...

Trental is a brand name for the prescription medication called pentoxifylline. Although effective for treating leg pain due to poor circulation, Trental poses a risk for side effects in some patients.

The heart is a very strong, muscular pump that performs the all important task of pumping 3,000 gallons of blood through your body every day. The coronary vessels supply the blood to the heart,...

Hydrotherapy involves using water to soothe and treat a variety of illnesses and conditions, including cellulite and poor circulation. Cellulite occurs when pockets of fat develop under the skin,...

Increasing blood and oxygen flow to the heart can strengthen the cardiovascular system and help the heart work more efficiently. Individuals with certain medical conditions and those with...

Your doctor likely will prescribe a nuclear stress test, also known as a thallium stress test, to look for signs of cardiac disease or damage to the heart muscle. During the stress test, you walk...

Heart disease is a term for many conditions that affect the heart. These include high blood pressure, narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart and genetic defects of the heart. When the heart...

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in the bloodstream and in all cells of the body. It is an important part of the cardiovascular system. LDL, HDL and VHDL are the different types of...

Smoking is not only associated with lung cancer but cardiovascular disease as well. The risk of heart attack rises with the number of cigarettes smoked daily. People that smoke a pack of...

Stroke volume is the amount of blood ejected from the left ventricle of the heart during contraction. It usually measures between 60 and 130 mL/beat in healthy individuals. If stroke volume is...

According to the American Heart Association, smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Smoking is the cause of more than 440,000 deaths each year.

Arteries damaged by disease, genetic traits, or severe trauma may swell like a balloon and result in an aneurysm. 14,000 Americans die each year from the most typical type of aneurysm, with...

Stroke is the primary concern when a patient is faced with carotid artery blockage. A narrowing or obstruction of these vital routes that deliver oxygen and blood to the brain can lead to the type...

Plaque buildup in arteries can, in many cases, be reversed if an individual is dedicated to adopting changes in lifestyle, treatment with medications and, if necessary, surgical procedures.

When monitoring blood pressure, it is essential to use the appropriate equipment to obtain an accurate reading. Care must be taken to determine the correct blood pressure cuff size in proportion...

Arteries clogged with plaque contribute to cardiovascular diseases that claim more lives annually worldwide than any other condition. Heart attack, stroke and gangrene are possible results unless...