Oxygen-poor blood from the body enters your heart through two large veins called the superior and inferior vena cava. The blood enters the heart's right atrium and is pumped to your right ventricle, which in turn pumps the blood to your lungs.
Symptoms Heart disease symptoms depend on the type of heart disease. Symptoms of heart disease in the blood vessels Coronary artery disease is a common heart condition that affects the major blood vessels that supply the heart muscle. A buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls usually causes coronary artery ...
Your risk of coronary heart disease increases based on the number of risk factors you have and how serious they are. Some risk factors — such as high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels can be adjusted through heart-healthy lifestyle changes. Other risk factors, such as your age, family history, and race and ethnicity, cannot be changed.
The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine is one of the largest and most comprehensive heart practices in the world. It includes more than 240 experts in congenital heart disease in adults and children, coronary artery disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart rhythm disorders, heart valve diseases and many other conditions.
Overview Cardiomyopathy (kahr-dee-o-my-OP-uh-thee) is a disease of the heart muscle. It causes the heart to have a harder time pumping blood to the rest of the body, which can lead to symptoms of heart failure. Cardiomyopathy also can lead to some other serious heart conditions. There are various types of cardiomyopathy. The main types include dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive ...
A heart attack occurs when an artery that sends blood and oxygen to the heart is blocked. Fatty, cholesterol-containing deposits build up over time, forming plaques in the heart's arteries. If a plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form. The clot can block arteries, causing a heart attack. During a heart attack, a lack of blood flow causes the tissue in the heart muscle to die.
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Blood often backs up and causes fluid to build up in the lungs and in the legs. The fluid buildup can cause shortness of breath and swelling of the legs and feet. Poor blood flow may cause the skin to look blue or gray. Depending on your skin color, these color changes may be harder or easier to see. Some types ...
Take Action Toward Better Heart Health: Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet A healthy diet that is low in sodium and saturated fat is key to heart disease prevention. Try the highly rated Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. It recommends: Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
When done regularly, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity strengthens your heart muscle. This improves your heart's ability to pump blood to your lungs and throughout your body. As a result, more blood flows to your muscles, and oxygen levels in your blood rise. Capillaries, your body's tiny blood vessels, also widen. This allows them to deliver more oxygen to your body and carry ...
Heart disease is a leading cause of death. You can't change some risk factors for it, such as family history, sex at birth or age. But you can take plenty of other steps to lower your risk of heart disease. One of the best things you can do for your heart is to stop smoking or using smokeless ...
