Heart Disease

The technology for replacing human heart valves with mechanical or tissue valves, like those from pigs, has evolved steadily since the 1950s. The former option is more durable, while the latter...

Cholesterol and plaque are two words that often come up in books, articles and news reports about heart attack; but just what are these two substances and what do they mean to your health?

Radio frequency ablation is a commonly preformed nonsurgical procedure for the treatment of electrical irregularities of the heart and cancerous tumors. The procedure is characterized by the use...

Heart disease continues to claim more lives across the globe annually than any other condition. While heredity plays a role, it's a disease individuals have a good likelihood of avoiding with some...

Your LDL is a reading of your "bad" cholesterol, which allows plaque to build up in your arteries. You also have another type of cholesterol called HDL; this is your "good" cholesterol. These...

A racing heart, also known as heart palpitations, can be uncomfortable and distressing. You may feel as though your heart is quickly fluttering, skipping beats or pounding right out of your chest....

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number one killer of Americans is heart disease. The CDC estimates that approximately 630,000 Americans die from heart...

Chelation therapy is a treatment for atherosclerosis, or arterial sclerosis. Atherosclerosis is commonly referred to as the buildup of plaque, or a "hardening of the arteries," according to the...

Your HDL levels help determine if you are at risk for dangerous health conditions. There are many factors that affect this level, including genetics and lifestyle. The key is to change what you can.

Doctors disagree about the value of exercise tolerance testing (ETT,) also known as stress testing, as a predictor of coronary disease and heart attacks. Competing studies offer conflicting...

An artificial pacemaker is a small mechanical device that is operated by a lithium battery. This device uses electrical impulses to keep the heart beating at a regular rate. Most pacemakers work...

A pacemaker is used to treat a heart that beats too slowly. This condition is called bradyarrhythmia. The pacemaker is implanted under the skin of your chest with wires attached into the heart. It...

Stem-cell research and its application in the medical field has proven to be a controversial subject. For many with health problems, stem cells provide hope for a cure or treatment of their health...

Fluid retained in bodily tissues causes the swelling of extremities known as edema, occurring most frequently in legs, feet and ankles. The Cleveland Clinic says heart disease is a common cause...

Angina pain occurs when the coronary arteries are blocked or narrowed by a blockage or blood clot. Certain factors can trigger angina pain such as emotional tension, exercise, cold weather and...

A pulsation is the feeling of one's heartbeat. There are times when feeling a pulsing sensation is normal, but prolonged or recurring pulsing sensations may be an indication of heart-related problems.

PVC stands for premature ventricular contractions and is a heart arrhythmia condition. PVC is characterized by skipped beats, pauses, or palpitations in the heart. It differs from other arrhythmia...

The symptoms of an enlarged heart, or cardiomegaly, can range from heart palpitations to panic attacks to heart failure. An enlarged heart is not to be confused with the term "athlete's heart,"...

Dextrocardia is a condition related to the location of the heart. In cases of dextrocardia, the heart is in the right section of the chest cavity instead of the left. This is a congenital condition.

Diffuse coronary artery disease refers to widespread damage or disease in the coronary arteries, which are major blood vessels that supply blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the heart (see Reference...

Lowering cholesterol consumption is a crucial part of changing dietary habits to include healthy foods for coronary heart disease. That means watching labels and avoiding products with trans fats...

An enlarged heart, or cardiomegaly, is a medical condition in which the heart is larger than normal. Symptoms may include respiratory problems, arrhythmia, and a cough. An enlarged heart can be...

There are times when people need to take precautions and make lifestyle changes to improve overall health. Cholesterol test numbers can reveal that it's time to make these changes.

Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood. Having high triglycerides increases your risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. There is medication to lower triglycerides, but according to...

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, or mm Hg and is defined as the amount of force produced by the arteries when the heart is resting and the amount of pressure between...

Your heart rate---or pulse rate---is the number of times your heart beats in a minute. Heart rates are lower when you are calm or inactive and higher during exercise. According to Cleveland...

High cholesterol is a common problem for Americans, especially older people and those with high blood pressure or those who are obese or have diabetes. If you don't know much about cholesterol,...

If you have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure or are older than 40, your doctor also might be concerned with your cholesterol levels. You might want to...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Diagnosing diseases of the heart can be difficult since the early...

Blocked arteries can occur because of a blood clot or plaque buildup in the arteries. This plaque buildup is usually caused by eating a diet high in saturated fats that can result in high levels...

High LDL can be a struggle, particularly if you also have diabetes, are over weight or are over 40 years old. Your first line of defense against this dangerous condition is knowing more about it...

Knowing your risk for health problems is important. When it comes to protecting your heart, knowing your HDL and LDL levels, and what those levels mean to your overall health, are key.

According to the National Vital Statistics Report, as of 2004, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Primary and secondary artery disease causes an increase in blood...

If you have received the results of your cholesterol test, then you may be curious about what these numbers mean for you. You likely received three separate numbers: your total cholesterol number,...

Heart and lung diseases include conditions such as cardiomyopathy, heart attack, vein disorders, heart failure, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, lung cancer and many others. The...

Your cholesterol numbers can keep you abreast of your overall health and help your doctor determine if you are at higher risk for certain diseases and conditions. It is important to know your...

Acid rain is the deposition of acidic components in rain, snow, fog, dew or dry particles that come from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These dangerous chemical pollutants can have a severe...

Statin drugs sold under brand names like Lipitor and Zocor are effective in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart attack. But people who take the drugs run the risk of developing...

Though medication and lifestyle changes can be helpful for artery blockages, in some severe situations more invasive procedures may be necessary. If your artery blockages are a direct threat to...

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is usually caused by atherosclerosis, which occurs when the arteries are hardened with fatty deposits. Sometimes CHD is referred to as coronary artery disease. There...

Heart palpitations occur when the heartbeat suddenly speeds up. The person suffering palpitations may feel his heart has skipped a beat or is racing, but in some cases the heart rate may still be...

Statins are a class of drug often prescribed to lower cholesterol as well as to counter various cardiovascular symptoms and risk factors, such as heart attack and stroke. Statins work primarily in...

Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. It often fluctuates due to strenuous activity, anxiety and stress. Knowing how to calculate your heart rate manually can help you...

An artificial pacemaker is an electrical device that helps the heart beat regularly if your heart's natural pacemaker is defective or a pathway to the heart is blocked, according to the American...

According to the Mayo Clinic, cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease. It is broken down into three specific types: restrictive, hypertrophic and dilated. Each of these types can cause the heart...

Untreated strep throat can lead to rheumatic fever, a condition that affects all the joints and organs of the body, including the heart. Rheumatic heart disease can be a life-threatening result of...

Cardiac decompensation is the failure of the heart to provide sufficient circulation to body tissues. Body tissues rely on a steady supply of blood to both provide oxygen and carry away wastes....

According to Scientific American, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart, the first totally implantable permanent artificial heart.

Indications of coronary disease typically do not present themselves until the disease has progressed to a dangerous point. The earliest symptom is typically chest pain, known as "angina," which is...

Genetics, a family history of coronary artery disease (CAD), is one of the most significant aspects in the pathogenesis of CAD. Adolescence, and perhaps even childhood, is the starting point for...