The most common cause of heart disease is a narrowing of or blockage in the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle itself (coronary artery disease). Some heart diseases are present at birth (congenital heart disease). Other causes include:
Heart disease and diet (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A healthy diet is a major factor in reducing your risk of heart disease. Reviewer: Patrika M. Tsai, MD, MPH, Specialist in Nutrition, Foster City, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/07/2006
Wine and heart health (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information) Reviewer: Caroline M. Apovian, M.D., F.A.C.N., Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Director, Nutrition & Weight Management Center, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 03/08/2006
Coronary heart disease (6 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. CHD is also called coronary artery disease. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, and Larry A. Weinrauch, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 03/30/2007
Coronary risk profile (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A coronary risk profile involves a battery of blood tests to evaluate cholesterol and triglycerides. These are indicators of risk for heart disease. Reviewer: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: Greg Juhn, M.T.P.W., David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy. Previously reviewed by Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (7/17/2006).Date: 08/24/2007
Coronary artery spasm (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Coronary artery spasm is a temporary, abrupt, and focal (restricted to one location) contraction of the muscles in the wall of an artery in the heart, which constricts the artery. This spasm slows or stops blood flow through the artery. Reviewer: Alan Berger, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/30/2006
Coronary angiography (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Coronary angiography is a procedure that uses a special dye (contrast material) and x-rays to see how blood flows through your heart. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/17/2006
Echocardiogram (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart. The picture is much more detailed than x-ray image and involves no radiation exposure. Reviewer: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: Greg Juhn, M.T.P.W., David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy. Previously reviewed by Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (7/17/2006).Date: 04/12/2007
Heart bypass surgery (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
This surgery is done to bypass clogged arteries supplying the heart. Reviewer: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/30/2006
Heart attack (8 images)
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A heart attack is when low blood flow causes the heart to starve for oxygen. Heart muscle dies or becomes permanently damaged. Your doctor calls this a myocardial infarction. Reviewer: Larry A. Weinrauch, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease, Watertown, MA, and Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 03/30/2007
Jaw pain and heart attacks (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information) Reviewer: Larry A. Weinrauch, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 10/22/2007
Heart attack first aid (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A heart attack is a medical emergency. The average person waits 3 hours before seeking help for symptoms of a heart attack. Many heart attack victims die before they reach a hospital. The sooner someone gets to the emergency room, the better the chance of survival. Prompt medical treatment also reduces the amount of damage done to the heart following an attack. Reviewer: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 06/08/2006
Hypertensive heart disease (1 image)
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Hypertensive heart disease is a late complication of hypertension (high blood pressure) in which the heart is affected. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/06/2006
Heart murmurs and other sounds (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Murmurs are blowing, whooshing, or rasping sounds produced by turbulent blood flow through the heart valves or near the heart. Reviewer: Larry A. Weinrauch, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 10/22/2007
Arrhythmias (7 images)
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An arrhythmia is any disorder of your heart rate or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/06/2006
Heart palpitations (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Palpitations are heartbeat sensations that feel like your heart is pounding or racing. You may simply have an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat, or may feel skipped or stopped beats. The heart's rhythm may be normal or abnormal. Palpitations can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. See also: Arrhythmia Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/06/2006
Ectopic heartbeat (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Ectopic heartbeat is an irregularity of the heart rate and heart rhythm involving extra or skipped heartbeats. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Date: 05/31/2006
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is a rapid heart rate, which occurs from time to time (paroxysmal. PSVT starts with events taking place above the ventricles. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Date: 05/31/2006
Ventricular tachycardia(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Ventricular tachycardia is a rapid heart beat initiated within the ventricles, characterized by 3 or more consecutive premature ventricular beats. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Date: 05/31/2006
Ventricular fibrillation (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a severely abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that causes death unless immediately treated. VF is responsible for 75 - 85% of sudden deaths in persons with heart problems. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 02/07/2007
Atrial fibrillation/flutter (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Atrial fibrillation/flutter is a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia. It usually involves a rapid heart rate, in which the upper heart chambers (atria) are stimulated to contract in a very disorganized and abnormal manner. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Date: 05/31/2006
Heart failure (3 images)
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Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a life-threatening condition in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/17/2006
Left-sided heart failure (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Left-sided heart failure is a life-threatening condition in which the left side of the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/17/2006
Right-sided heart failure (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Right-sided heart failure is a condition in which the right side of the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/06/2006
Congenital heart disease (5 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Congenital heart disease refers to a problem with the heart's structure and function due to abnormal heart development before birth. Congenital means present at birth. Reviewer: Anne J. L. Chun, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 06/27/2006
Congenital heart defect corrective surgery (5 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Surgery to correct or treat birth defects of the heart (congenital heart disease) is required if the defects threaten the child's well-being or life. Reviewer: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/30/2006
Pericarditis (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Pericarditis is a disorder caused by inflammation of the pericardium, which is the sac-like covering around the heart. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/06/2006
Endocarditis (5 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Endocarditis is inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves (endocardium. See also: Culture-negative endocarditis; Infective endocarditis. Reviewer: Kenneth M. Wener, M.D., Department of Infectious Diseases, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/01/2007
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a disorder in which excessive, habitual use of alcohol weakens the heart muscle so that it cannot pump blood efficiently. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/06/2006
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a form of cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle to become thick. The thickening makes it harder for the heart to work. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/17/2006
Cardiogenic shock(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cardiogenic shock is a disease state where the heart is damaged enough that it is unable to supply sufficient blood to the body. Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Date: 05/31/2006
Hypoplastic left heart (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Hypoplastic left heart describes the underdevelopment of the left side of the heart (mitral valve, aortic valve, and aorta. The condition is congenital (present at birth. Reviewer: Anne J. L. Chun, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/30/2006
Cyanotic heart disease (5 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cyanotic heart disease is a¿heart¿defect, present at birth (congenital),¿that results in low blood oxygen levels. There may be more than one defect. The defect affects the structure or function of the heart or vessels. Reviewer: Alan Berger, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Review providedby VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 06/02/2006
Open heart surgery(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Open heart surgery is any surgery where the chest is opened¿and surgery is performed on the heart. The term "open" refers to the chest, not the heart itself. The heart may or may not be opened, depending on the type of surgery. Open heart surgery includes surgery on the heart muscle, valves, arteries, or other structures. A heart-lung machine (also called cardiopulmonary bypass) is usually during conventional open heart surgery¿to help provide oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other vital organs. The machine also pumps, supplies oxygen,¿removes carbon dioxide from the blood, and provides anesthesia to keep the patient asleep during surgery. The definition of open heart surgery becomes confusing in light of new procedures being performed on the heart through smaller incisions. There are some new surgical procedures being performed that are done with the heart still beating. Minimally invasive heart surgery (MIDCAB, OPCAB,¿RACAB), including¿robotic-assisted heart surgery,¿is still considered¿open heart surgery. However, these procedures are being used in some patients as an alternative to open heart surgery¿requiring the heart-lung machine. Related topics: Angioplasty of the heart; Atrial septal defect repair; Cardiac transplant; Coarctation of the aorta repair; Congenital heart defect corrective surgery; Heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft - CABG; Heart transplant; Heart valve prosthesis; Heart valve surgery; Heart-and-lung transplant; Hypoplastic left heart repair; Minimally invasive heart surgery (MIDCAB, OPCAB, RACAB; Patent ductus arteriosus ligation; PDA ligation; Prosthetic heart valves; Tetralogy of Fallot repair; Total anomalous pulmonary venous return correction; Transplant of the heart; Transplant of the heart and lungs; Transposition of great vessels repair; Tricuspid atresia repair; Truncus arteriosus repair; Valve replacement; Ventricular septal defect repair; VSD repair. Reviewer: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/30/2006
Heart valve surgery (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Heart valve surgery is used to repair or replace diseased heart valves. Reviewer: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/30/2006
Heart transplant (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Heart transplantation is a surgical procedure to remove a damaged or diseased heart and replace it with a healthy donor heart. Reviewer: Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/25/2007
Heart-and-lung transplant (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Heart-and-lung¿transplant is surgery to replace a diseased heart and lungs with a healthy heart and lungs from a human donor. Reviewer: Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/25/2007
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