Clear Answers for Common Questions

A heart attack is the death of heart muscle caused by blockage of a coronary artery. Medically referred to as a myocardial infarction, this condition occurs when a coronary artery is blocked, depriving the heart of blood and oxygen. This deprivation to the heart causes chest pain and pressure, injury ...

Pericarditis is the swelling of the tissue surrounding the heart, called the pericardium. In some cases, a heart attack, surgery on the heart, certain medications or infections can cause pericarditis. Pericarditis can also present in people who are completely healthy but may have recently had a minor virus. When no ...

Congestive heart failure, or CHF, refers to the failure of the heart to perform its main function: to pump blood throughout the body. It occurs when the flow of blood, or cardiac output, from the heart decreases, or fluids back up or "congest" within the heart, or both. Insufficient cardiac ...

For the most part, low blood pressure, or hypotension, is considered to be a sign of good health. This is because higher blood pressure places more pressure is on the heart and the circulatory system. For this reason, individuals who have a blood pressure that is low are usually at ...

An arrhythmia is a disruption in the regularity of the heartbeat. Arrhythmias are actually quite common; many people are living with an arrhythmia and they are totally unaware of it. In some cases, an arrhythmia may be more serious, requiring medical intervention and treatment. Since the heart is such an ...

Gum disease and heart disease appear to be related, thanks to several extensive studies in the early 2000s which suggested that people with periodontal disease were twice as likely to also have coronary artery disease, along with other heart-related health conditions. A couple of theories to explain the link ...

Surprisingly, the connection between emotional stress levels and heart attacks may not be as apparent as one might believe. While it is certainly a good idea to reduce both physical and emotional stress levels, the scenario of suffering a massive heart attack immediately following an emotionally stressful event is most ...

ACE inhibitors are a classification of drugs used to treat high blood pressure and other associated problems. They relax the muscles responsible for contracting blood vessels, allowing the vessels to dilate. This action lowers blood pressure, reducing the strain on the heart and kidneys. The "ACE" in ACE inhibitors stands ...

Heart palpitations are a general class used to identify any unusual awareness a person has of his or her heart beating. This includes noticing that one’s heart is beating slower than usual, more quickly than usual, or with small gaps in its beat. This may also be used to ...

An unusually fast beating of the heart is called tachycardia. Medical professionals diagnosing a patient with this condition may say that the patient is "tachy." Normal heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. If the heart rate climbs above 100 beats per minute, the ...

The pericardium is a protective sac around the heart and the roots of the major veins and arteries leading to it. It consists of two primary layers, one of which is broken down into two sub-layers. Its main purpose is to hold and lubricate the heart, and make sure ...

Apical ballooning syndrome is a heart condition that can have serious repercussions if left untreated. It is classified as a type of cardiomyopathy, meaning a condition that affects the muscle of the heart; in this case, the main muscle of the heart is seriously weakened, which makes it hard for ...

It is now estimated that nearly one out of every three Americans has high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the measurement of how much force the flow of blood puts on the arteries. Although blood pressure rises and falls during the day depending on activity levels, eating habits and other ...

Heart murmurs are additional sounds that a doctor might hear when listening to the beat of a heart with a stethoscope. They are sometimes called extra beats and are caused by the turbulent flow of blood. Murmurs often include a rushing or whooshing sound, although other sounds can indicate a ...

Dyspnoea may also be less fancifully termed as shortness of breath. In the medical sense, it tends to refer to shortness of breath deriving from a medical condition and not caused by excessive exertion. Numerous conditions list dyspnoea as a possible symptom. Some causes of dyspnoea are directly tied to ...

Heart disease is responsible for 1.2 million heart attacks in the United States each year. Over 40% of people suffering a heart attack will die, making heart disease one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Many of those who survive will become permanently disabled. Unfortunately ...

Endocarditis causes vegetative matter to grow in the valves of the heart, generally the pulmonary and aortic valves. Endocarditis may also occur in the mitral and tricuspid valves, though this is less common. In most cases, the cause of endocarditis is bacterial, and most often it affects those with valve ...

Are you at risk for heart disease? It’s sometimes difficult to tell, but research beginning in the 2000s suggests that you see your dentist to find out. Several different studies conducted by cardiologists, and by periodontists (specialists in gum disease) now suggest that there are several connections between dental ...

Sometimes referred to as cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac dysrhythmia is the accurate medical term for an irregular or abnormal heart rate. It occurs when the average adult heart rate falls below or rises above the normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute. An irregular heartbeat can be life threatening ...

Fibrillation, also referred to as cardiac arrhythmia, is a naturally occurring phenomenon of the heart that can be a serious condition. During fibrillation, the heart beats irregularly and rapidly, with unsynchronized contractions. A fibrillation falls under one of two categories: an atrial fibrillation or a ventricular fibrillation. Patients with atrial ...

Heterotaxy is a term used to describe two groupings of congenital heart defects that generally involve a looping defect, dextrocardia. In addition to several anomalies in the heart, the liver of a person with heterotaxy is generally midline, instead of placed on one side of the body. The most significant ...

Ischemia is a condition in which enough oxygen is not delivered by the blood to a major organ, and most often affects the heart or the brain. It occurs when the flow of blood is blocked or when the blood flowing to the organ has an extremely low oxygen content ...

Endocarditis is an inflammation of the heart's valves or inner lining. The condition occurs when germs from the mouth, intestines or skin reach the bloodstream and infect regions of the heart. Fungi has also been recognized as a causative source of the heart infection. Although endocarditis is not common ...

Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT) is a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart, the atria, begin to beat irregularly, sometimes producing heartbeats as fast as 200-220 beats per minute (bpm). The condition is called paroxysmal, since it occurs suddenly and without warning. In people with no abnormal ...

When a patient has hypertension or high blood pressure, the force of blood against the artery walls is too strong. Hypertension is known as a silent killer because the symptoms do not appear until it is severely high. You may not be aware you have the condition, but it can ...

Ischemic heart disease is the medical term for a condition many of us know informally as coronary artery disease. This condition, though treatable, may be “silent” and cause no noticeable symptoms in some people who have it. In other cases, this condition creates uncomfortable symptoms, which is actually a good ...

Hypertension or high blood pressure is associated with numerous risks. Controlling it through blood pressure medication can reduce but not eliminate all risks. Though certain groups of people are more predisposed to hypertension, sometimes it occurs in people who seem otherwise healthy. However, most experience high blood pressure as they ...

Blood clots are not a normal condition, but they occur when blood coagulates or hardens. They typically form after the body is injured to prevent excessive bleeding. Also called a thrombus, it is made when blood cells lump together with fibrin, a stretchy, thread-like protein. Research has shown fibrin ...

Coronary occlusions are closures or obstructions of coronary vessels. As a result of the closure or obstruction, a person with an occlusion has insufficient blood flow that can ultimately lead to a myocardial infarction. A myocardial infarction, more commonly called a heart attack, is potentially fatal. Coronary occlusions are usually ...

There are several types of cardiomyopathy, all affecting the myocardium or muscle tissue of the heart. Damage prevents the heart from functioning normally, or the walls of the tissue thickens or hardens, causing the heart to resist filling to capacity. Cardiomyopathy progresses in most cases, and is one of the ...

The heart is divided into four chambers. The septum or wall separates the top two chambers, called the atria. In some cases, a portion of this wall fails to form in the fetal heart. The result is an atrial septal defect (ASD). All infants have a small opening in their ...

Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is a painful but temporary heart condition caused primarily by constriction of veins and arteries. Once these blood vessels become tight, the heart's oxygen supply is reduced and the result is pain in the chest, jaw, neck, throat or arms. The pain usually ...

Angina is a medical condition where blood cannot get to the heart in sufficient amounts. Healthcare professionals address the problem in a variety of ways including the use of stents, angioplasty, bypass surgery or medication. Lifestyle changes, however, can also help reduce the overall risk of heart attack and stroke ...

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common of all birth defects, occurring in 8 out of 1000 births. Many CHDs are minor, requiring careful observation but no treatment. Today, most severe congenital heart defects can be treated, and the outcome for even the most severe defects is quite favorable ...

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a serious and rare congenital heart condition. In this syndrome, the fetal heart does not develop normally, so the left ventricle is undersized and far too weak to pump blood to the body. Some children survive a few weeks with this condition, but without ...