Heart Disease

Heart disease refers to various heart conditions, such as arrhythmias and coronary artery disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, heart disease is the greatest killer of men and women worldwide,...

Cardiac asthma is not what doctors consider "true" asthma. It is primarily associated with congestive heart failure, and not the lungs or airways. In heart failure, fluid can accumulate in the...

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....

An ICD (automatic internal cardiac defibrillator or internal cardioverter defibrillator) is a mechanical device that monitors the heart rate and rhythm. If it detects an abnormal heart rhythm, it...

With obesity rates climbing, so is the rate of heart disease in the United States. The Women's Heart Foundation reports that one person has a heart attack in America every 20 seconds and that 1.5...

The cardiac cycle is the series of events comprising a complete contraction and relaxation of the heart's four chambers. A cardiac cycle lasts about 0.22 seconds in a normal, healthy adult heart....

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the most common cause of death among women in the United States. The most important cardiac symptoms are those that accompany a heart...

Nonischemic heart disease is a disease of the heart that lacks the associated coronary artery disease often found in other diseases of the heart. It's usually linked to a disease in one or more of...

A cardiac dysrhythmia, or arrhythmia, is a change in the normal rhythm of the heart. Some occur in perfectly healthy hearts and are benign. Some are relatively common, such as atrial...

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease affects more than 16 million people in the U.S. and is the number one cause of death in our country. Understanding the disease...

A congenital cardiac disorder is any heart abnormality that is present from birth. According to the Mayo Clinic, most congenital cardiac defects begin to form just three or four weeks after...

Almost all types of surgeries have accompanying risks and complications. Cardiac surgery is no exception. Every open heart surgery, whether it's a bypass operation, or simply replacing an old...

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a cardiac arrhythmia is a problem with the rate of the heartbeat, causing the heart to beat too fast, too slow or with an...

When you're suffering from heart disease, you have a condition that affects the overall function of your heart. But heart disease isn't really a sole disorder on its own, but a grouping of issues...

Three treatments for blocked coronary arteries are commonly referred to in a group as cardiac catheterizations because they all start with a catheter inserted in your artery. The medical terms for...

Hypothyroidism is a deficiency in thyroid hormone that can be caused by disease in the thyroid gland itself or by a drop in the production of thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the pituitary...

According to the Mayo Clinic, the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States is heart disease. Although this disease is debilitating and often fatal, there are a variety of...

If you ever develop heart disease or a loved one has heart disease it is good to familiarize yourself with different disorders of the heart and what they mean and stand for. Keep youself...

The broad term "heart disease" describes numerous conditions that lead to an improperly functioning heart, such as arrhythmias (atypical heartbeat), cardiomyopathy (abnormal heart muscle) and...

Cardiac arrhythmias disease is a condition characterized by a change in the heart's rate and rhythm. When this happens, the heart may either beat too slow or too fast. It may also beat in an...

Heart palpitations are a condition where you feel as if your heart is racing or pounding within your chest. Heart palpitations can be brought on by many factors, including stress, medications or...

A cardiac event monitor is a device used to monitor unusual movements in cardiac patients' hearts. The instrument is beneficial because it reduces the occurrence of heart-related emergencies, and...

Cardiac arrhythmia, also known as dysrhythmia, is a medical condition which is characterized by irregular beating of the heart or complete skipping of a heart beat. Most cases of cardiac...

Many people who have seizures are diagnosed with epilepsy. However, when further testing is performed, doctors find that some of these individuals actually have cardiovascular syncope--a condition...

Plavix, also called clopidogrel, is a drug prescribed to patients following a heart attack, stroke, unstable angina, stent insertion or other cardiac conditions. The drug is prescribed for 1 year...

According to Hopkins Hospital, moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of coronary heart disease by 20 to 40 percent. Moderate consumption is defined as 1 to 2 drinks per day. However, the...

While target heart rates are not very important for healthy people, determining a target heart rate can be very useful for people with heart disease, or those recovering from a heart attack. Avoid...