Heart Health

Get the Facts

• Congenital Heart Defects
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Endocarditis
• Pericarditis
• Kawasaki Disease
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
• Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
• Bradycardia (Slow Heart Rate)
• Writing an Advance Directive
• Procedures That May Require Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis
• Mitral Valve Regurgitation
• Mediterranean Diet
• Quick Tips: Taking Charge of Your Angina
• Coronary Artery Disease
• High Cholesterol
• Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Aortic Valve Regurgitation
• Aortic Valve Stenosis
• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Triggers of Sudden Heart Failure
• Heart Failure
• High Blood Pressure
• Using Nitroglycerin for Sudden Chest Pain
• Supraventricular Tachycardia
• Central Venous Catheters
• Resuming Sexual Activity After a Heart Attack
• Drug-Eluting Stents
• Women and Coronary Artery Disease
• Ventricular Tachycardia
• Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy
• Anesthesia
• Lipid Panel
• Scarlet Fever
• Heart Attack and Unstable Angina
• How Nitrates Treat Systolic Heart Failure
• Risks and Benefits of Medicines for Heart Failure
• Monitoring and Medicines for Heart Failure
• Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) for Heart Failure
• Medicines for Heart Failure
• Beta-Blockers for Systolic Heart Failure
• How Beta-Blockers Treat Diastolic Heart Failure
• Blood Thinners for Heart Failure
• Medicines to Prevent Abnormal Heart Rhythm in Heart Failure
• What You Need to Know Before Exercising With an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)
• Exercise Tips if You Have a Pacemaker or ICD
• Organ Transplant
• Mitral Valve Stenosis
• People Who Need Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis
• Determining the Need for Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery
• Prehypertension
• Acute Coronary Syndrome
• Should I Repair or Replace My Mitral Valve?
• Health Problems Associated With Adult Obesity
• Living With More Than One Health Problem
• Problems Related to Diabetes Complications
• Preventing Diabetic Heart and Blood Vessel Complications
• High Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines Based on Risk Categories
• Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet for High Cholesterol
• High Triglycerides
• Heart Murmur
• Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet for High Cholesterol
• Tips for Success with the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet
• Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)
• Depression and Coronary Artery Disease
• American Heart Association Healthy Diet Guidelines
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Self-Care for Recovery

Making the Right Decision

• Heart Tests: When Do You Need Them?
• High cholesterol: Should I take statins?
• Atrial fibrillation: Should I try electrical cardioversion?
• Heart Disease: Should I Have Bypass Surgery?
• Heart Disease Risk: Should I Have a Coronary Calcium Scan?
• Heart Disease: Should I Have an Angiogram?
• Atrial fibrillation: Should I take anticoagulants to prevent stroke?
• Aortic valve stenosis: Should I have surgery?
• Heart valve problems: Should I choose a mechanical valve or tissue valve to replace my heart valve?
• Aspirin: Should I Take Daily Aspirin to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?
• Heart failure: Should I get a pacemaker?
• Heart failure: Should I get an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)?
• High blood pressure: Should I take medicine?
• Heart Disease: Should I Have Angioplasty for Stable Angina?
• Heart problems: Should I have catheter ablation?

Treatments

• Angioplasty for Coronary Artery Disease
• Atherectomy for Coronary Artery Disease
• Pacemaker for atrial fibrillation
• Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation
• Electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation
• Electrical cardioversion (defibrillation) for a fast heart rate
• Catheter ablation for a fast heart rate
• Pacemaker for bradycardia
• Angioplasty with stent placement for heart attack and unstable angina
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
• Heart valve repair or replacement for mitral valve regurgitation or prolapse
• Heart transplant
• Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery

Symptoms

• Change in Heartbeat
• Chest Problems
• Medical history and physical exam for a slow heart rate

Interactive Tools

• Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Increase Your Risk of Heart Attack?
• Interactive Tool: Are You at Risk for a Heart Attack?

Medical Tests

• Ambulatory Electrocardiogram
• Computed Tomography Angiogram (CT Angiogram)
• Angiogram
• Cardiac Blood Pool Scan
• Cardiac Catheterization
• Chest X-ray
• Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests
• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram
• Cardiac Enzyme Studies
• Home Blood Pressure Test
• Pericardial Drainage
• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
• Exercise Electrocardiogram
• Cardiac Perfusion Scan
• Homocysteine
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
• Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Test
• Cardiac Calcium Scoring
• Electrophysiology Study
• Medical history and physical exam for a slow heart rate
• Medical History and Physical Exam for Coronary Artery Disease
• History and physical exam for atrial fibrillation
• Heart catheterization for congenital heart defects
• History and physical exam for heart failure
• Physical exam for high blood pressure
• Medical history and physical exam for a fast heart rate

Medications

• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Aspirin for Coronary Artery Disease
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors for Coronary Artery Disease
• Thrombolytics for heart attack and unstable angina
• Anticoagulants for Coronary Artery Disease
• Bile acid sequestrants for high cholesterol
• Nicotinic acid for high cholesterol
• Statins and statin combinations for high cholesterol
• Fibric acid derivatives for high cholesterol
• Antiplatelet Medicine for Heart Attack and Unstable Angina
• Antiarrhythmic medications for atrial fibrillation
• Beta-blockers for atrial fibrillation
• Calcium channel blockers for atrial fibrillation
• Digoxin for atrial fibrillation
• Warfarin for atrial fibrillation
• Beta-blockers for mitral valve prolapse
• Antiarrhythmics for congenital heart defects
• Diuretics for congenital heart defects
• Cardiac glycosides for congenital heart defects
• Vasodilators for congenital heart defects
• Vasodilators for heart failure
• Diuretics for heart failure
• Digoxin for heart failure
• Beta-blockers for heart failure
• Diuretics for high blood pressure
• Beta-blockers for high blood pressure
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure
• Vasodilators for high blood pressure
• Antibiotics for Lyme disease
• Nitrates for Coronary Artery Disease
• Beta-Blockers for Coronary Artery Disease
• Calcium Channel Blockers for Coronary Artery Disease
• Adenosine for fast heart rates
• Antiarrhythmic medications for fast heart rates
• Beta-blockers for fast heart rates
• Calcium channel blockers for fast heart rates
• Digoxin for fast heart rates
• Oxygen therapy for heart failure
• Morphine sulfate
• Aldosterone receptor antagonists: Diuretics for heart failure
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for heart attack and unstable angina
• Aspirin for heart attack and unstable angina
• Nitrates for heart attack and unstable angina
• Beta-blockers for heart attack and unstable angina
• Calcium channel blockers for heart attack and unstable angina
• Anticoagulants for heart attack and unstable angina
• Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors for heart attack and unstable angina
• Anticoagulants for pulmonary embolism
• Vasodilators for mitral valve regurgitation
• Anticoagulants for aortic and mitral valve regurgitation
• Aspirin for mitral valve regurgitation
• Digoxin for mitral valve regurgitation
• Calcium channel blockers for heart failure
• Direct renin inhibitors for high blood pressure
• Cholesterol absorption inhibitors for high cholesterol
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) for high blood pressure

Take Action

• Heart failure: Taking medicines properly
• Heart failure: Eating less salt
• Heart failure: Watching your fluids
• Heart failure: Avoiding triggers for sudden heart failure
• Heart failure: Activity and exercise
• Warfarin: Taking your medicine safely
• Heart failure: Checking your weight
• Heart Disease: Eating a Heart-Healthy Diet
• Heart Problems: Living With a Pacemaker or ICD
• Heart Disease: Exercising for a Healthy Heart
• High blood pressure: Checking your blood pressure at home
• High blood pressure: Taking medicines properly
• High blood pressure: Using the DASH diet
• Heart disease: Walking for a healthy heart
• Heart failure: Avoiding medicines that make symptoms worse

Stories

• Alan's Story: Coping With Change After a Heart Attack
• Joan's Story: Coping With Depression and Anxiety From Heart Failure
• Joyce's Story: Feeling Better With a Pacemaker
• Tony's Story: Taking Medicine for High Cholesterol
• Izzy's Story: Living With the DASH Diet
• Tyrell's Story: Taking Pills for High Blood Pressure