Heart Health

Health Topics

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
• Acute Coronary Syndrome
• After a Stroke: Helping Your Family Adjust
• Alan's Story: Coping With Change After a Heart Attack
• Alcohol Increases the Risk of Cold Injury
• Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
• Allen Test
• American Heart Association Healthy Diet Guidelines
• Angina
• Angioplasty for Coronary Artery Disease
• Angioplasty for Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Legs
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Anticoagulants
• Anticoagulants: What to Do if You Miss a Dose
• Antiplatelets
• Aortic Aneurysm
• Aortic Dissection
• Aortic Valve Regurgitation
• Aortic Valve Regurgitation: Deciding About Surgery
• Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery
• Aortic Valve Replacement: Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Aortic Valve Stenosis
• Aortic Valve Stenosis Complications
• Aortic Valve Stenosis: Treatment When You Have Another Heart Disease
• Aortobifemoral Bypass for Peripheral Arterial Disease
• Arrhythmias and Sexual Activity
• Arrhythmias: Foods That Affect Heart Rate
• Arturo's Story: Getting Support for Making a Change
• Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke
• Atherosclerosis
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Atrial Fibrillation and Daily Life
• Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
• Balloon Valvotomy for Mitral Valve Stenosis
• Balloon Valvuloplasty for Aortic Valve Stenosis
• Bed Rest in Pregnancy
• Beta-blockers
• Blood Clots in the Leg Veins
• Blood Pressure Numbers: When to Get Help
• Blood Pressure Screening
• Blood Tests for Preeclampsia
• Bradycardia (Slow Heart Rate)
• Brain Aneurysm: Endovascular Embolization
• Cardiac Arrest
• Cardiac Cachexia
• Cardiac Device Monitoring
• Cardiac Output
• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Team
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Emotional Health Benefits
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Exercise
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Home Program
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Hospital Program
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Lifestyle Changes
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Maintenance Program
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Medicine and Exercise
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Monitoring Your Body's Response to Exercise
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Outpatient Program
• Cardiac Rehabilitation: Weight and Resistance Training
• Cardiomyopathy
• Cardiovascular Syphilis
• Carotid Artery Disease
• Carotid Artery Procedures After a Stroke or TIA
• Carotid Artery Stenting
• Carotid Endarterectomy
• Catheter Ablation for a Fast Heart Rate
• Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
• Central Venous Catheter: Changing the Dressing
• Central Venous Catheter: Flushing
• Central Venous Catheters
• Change in Heartbeat
• Chest Problems
• Chilblains (Perniosis)
• Cholesterol and Triglycerides: Eating Fish and Fish Oil
• Cholesterol in Children and Teens
• Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines
• Classification of Heart Failure
• Cold Hands: Home Treatment
• Compression Stockings for Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Compression Stockings for Varicose Veins
• Congenital Heart Defect Types
• Congenital Heart Defects
• Congenital Heart Defects in Adults
• Congenital Heart Defects That Cause Aortic Valve Stenosis
• Congenital Heart Defects: Caring for Your Child
• Congenital Heart Defects: Complications
• Congenital Heart Defects: Exercise and Sports
• Congenital Heart Defects: Pregnancy
• Congenital Heart Defects: Prostaglandins and Prostaglandin Inhibitors
• Coronary Arteries and Heart Function
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: How It Is Done
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: How to Prepare
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Recovering in the Hospital
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Self-Care for Recovery
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: The Recovery Process
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: What to Expect After You Go Home
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Day One of Recovery
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Minimally Invasive Methods
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: When You Arrive at the Hospital
• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Your Medical Team
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Coronary Artery Disease and Alcohol
• Coronary Artery Disease: Family History
• Coronary Artery Disease: Helping a Loved One
• Coronary Artery Disease: Prevention Myths
• Coronary Artery Disease: Roles of Different Doctors
• CPR Basics
• DASH Diet Sample Menu
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Depression and Coronary Artery Disease
• Diabetes: Amputation for Foot Problems
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy
• Diuretics and Potassium Supplements
• Drug-Eluting Stents
• Eclampsia (Seizures) and Preeclampsia
• Electrical Cardioversion (Defibrillation) for a Fast Heart Rate
• Electrical Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation
• Electrical System of the Heart
• Endocarditis
• Endovascular Repair for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
• Enjoying Life When You Have Heart Failure
• Exercising to Prevent a Stroke
• Fainting
• Familial Lipid Disorders
• Fast Heart Rate
• Femoral-Tibial Bypass Surgery for Peripheral Arterial Disease
• Femoropopliteal Bypass (Fem-Pop Bypass) for Peripheral Arterial Disease
• Genetic Test for Clopidogrel
• Giant Cell Arteritis
• Heart Arrhythmias and Exercise
• Heart Attack and Stroke in Women: Reducing Your Risk
• Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Screening
• Heart Attack and Unstable Angina
• Heart Attack: How to Prevent Another One
• Heart Block
• Heart Failure
• Heart Failure and Sexual Activity
• Heart Failure and Sleep Problems
• Heart Failure Complications
• Heart Failure Daily Action Plan
• Heart Failure Stages
• Heart Failure Symptoms
• Heart Failure Types
• Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (Diastolic Heart Failure)
• Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (Systolic Heart Failure)
• Heart Failure: Avoiding Colds and Flu
• Heart Failure: Compensation by the Heart and Body
• Heart Failure: Disease Management Programs
• Heart Failure: Eating a Healthy Diet
• Heart Failure: Less Common Symptoms
• Heart Failure: Tips for Caregivers
• Heart Failure: Tips for Easier Breathing
• Heart Murmur
• Heart Rhythm Problems and Driving
• Heart Rhythm Problems: Diary of Symptoms
• Heart Rhythm Problems: How to Travel Safely
• Heart Rhythm Problems: Symptoms
• Heart Tests: When Do You Need Them?
• Heart Transplant
• Heart Valve Disease
• Heart Valve Disease and Pregnancy
• Heart Valve Replacement Surgery
• Heart Valve Replacement Surgery: Life After Surgery
• Heart Valve Replacement: How to Prepare
• Heart Valve Surgery: Recovery
• Heart-Healthy Eating
• Heart-Healthy Eating: Fish
• Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
• HELLP Syndrome and Preeclampsia
• Helping a Loved One After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
• Hemorrhagic Stroke
• High Blood Pressure
• High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
• High Blood Pressure in African Americans
• High Blood Pressure, Transient Ischemic Attack, and Stroke
• High Blood Pressure: Nutrition Tips
• High Blood Pressure: Over-the-Counter Medicines to Avoid
• High Cholesterol
• High Cholesterol: Effect of Food on Cholesterol
• High Cholesterol: Healthy Food Choices
• High Cholesterol: How a Dietitian Can Help
• High Triglycerides
• High-Output Heart Failure
• How the Heart Works
• How to Find Sodium
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Types
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Risk of Sudden Death
• Hypothermia and Cold Temperature Exposure
• Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)
• Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Increase Your Risk of Heart Attack?
• Interactive Tool: What Is Your Target Heart Rate?
• Interactive Tools
• Intermittent Claudication
• Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump
• Ischemia
• Isolated Systolic High Blood Pressure
• Izzy's Story: Living With the DASH Diet
• Joan's Story: Coping With Depression and Anxiety From Heart Failure
• Joe's Story: Changing My Lifestyle
• Joyce's Story: Feeling Better With a Pacemaker
• Kawasaki Disease
• Laparoscopic Surgery
• Laser Treatment for Varicose Veins
• Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH)
• Leg Amputation
• Leg Aneurysm
• Leg Problems, Noninjury
• Leriche's Syndrome
• Linda's Story: Quitting Smoking Lowers My Risk
• Lipid Panel
• Living With More Than One Health Problem
• Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
• Lyme Disease
• Malignant High Blood Pressure
• Manage Stress for Your Heart
• Maze Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation
• Medicines to Prevent Abnormal Heart Rhythm in Heart Failure
• Mediterranean Diet
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Mitral Valve Disease: Heart Rhythm Problems
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Mitral Valve Regurgitation
• Mitral Valve Regurgitation and Exercise
• Mitral Valve Regurgitation: Repair or Replace the Valve?
• Mitral Valve Regurgitation: Severity
• Mitral Valve Repair Surgery (Commissurotomy) for Mitral Valve Stenosis
• Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery
• Mitral Valve Stenosis
• Mitral Valve Stenosis: Repair or Replacement?
• Modify Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Diet
• Monitoring and Medicines for Heart Failure
• Monitoring During Anesthesia
• Myxoma Tumors of the Heart
• Open Repair Surgery for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
• Organ Transplant
• Pacemaker for Bradycardia
• Pacemaker for Heart Failure (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy)
• Paget's Disease and Heart Failure
• Paradoxical Embolism
• People Who Need Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis
• Pericarditis
• Peripheral Arterial Disease and Exercise
• Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Legs
• Peripheral Arterial Disease: Pulse and Blood Pressure Measurement
• Physical Activity Helps Prevent a Heart Attack and Stroke
• Physical Therapy
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica
• Postoperative Problems
• Post-Thrombotic Syndrome
• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
• Preeclampsia
• Pregnancy and the Increased Risk of Developing Blood Clots
• Pregnancy: Varicose Veins
• Prehypertension
• Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)
• Pressure Injuries
• Pressure Injuries From Scuba Diving
• Pressure Injuries: Conditions That Affect Healing
• Pressure Injuries: Prevention and Treatment
• Pressure Injuries: Stages
• Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis From Travel
• Procedures That May Require Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Quick Tips: Taking Charge of Your Angina
• Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
• Raynaud's Phenomenon
• Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
• Resuming Sexual Activity After a Heart Attack
• Rheumatic Fever and the Heart
• Right-Sided Heart Failure
• Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease
• Sally's Story: Avoiding Metabolic Syndrome
• Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins
• Secondary High Blood Pressure
• Self-Care After a Stroke
• Sex and Your Heart
• Shock
• Sick Sinus Syndrome
• Signs of Abnormal Bleeding
• Skin Grafting for Venous Skin Ulcer
• Smoking and Coronary Artery Disease
• Smoking and Stroke Risk
• Smoking: Heart Attack and Stroke Risks
• Sodium and High Blood Pressure
• SPECT Image of the Heart
• Statins
• Stroke
• Stroke and TIA: Who Is Affected
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Stroke Risk and Carotid Endarterectomy
• Stroke Symptoms
• Stroke: Behavior Changes
• Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems
• Stroke: Changes in Emotions
• Stroke: Common Disabilities
• Stroke: Dealing With Depression
• Stroke: Getting Dressed
• Stroke: Hesitant or Impulsive?
• Stroke: How to Prevent Another One
• Stroke: Life-Threatening Complications
• Stroke: Memory Tips
• Stroke: Perception Changes
• Stroke: Preventing Injury in Affected Limbs
• Stroke: Problems With Ignoring the Affected Side
• Stroke: Speech and Language Problems
• Stroke: Your Rehabilitation Team
• Supraventricular Tachycardia
• Temporal Artery Biopsy
• Thrombolytic Medicines for Pulmonary Embolism
• Thrombolytics for Heart Attack and Stroke
• Tilt Table Test
• Tony's Story: Taking Medicine for High Cholesterol
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
• Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
• Triggers of Sudden Heart Failure
• Turning Off Your ICD
• Types of Bradycardia
• Types of Supraventricular Tachycardia
• Tyrell's Story: Taking Pills for High Blood Pressure
• Using Nitroglycerin for Angina
• Vagal Maneuvers for Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
• Varicose Veins
• Varicose Veins Home Treatment
• Varicose Veins: Phlebectomy or Stab Avulsion
• Varicose Veins: Radiofrequency Ablation
• Vein Ligation and Stripping
• Venous Insufficiency
• Venous Skin Ulcer
• Venous Skin Ulcers: Home Treatment
• Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) for Heart Failure
• Ventricular Tachycardia
• Ventriculogram
• Warfarin and Vitamin K
• Weight and Coronary Artery Disease
• What to Do if Your Cardiac Device Is Recalled
• When to Have a Cholesterol Test
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Making a Wise Decision

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Should I Get a Screening Test?
• Advance Care Planning: Should I Receive CPR and Life Support?
• Aspirin: Should I Take Daily Aspirin to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?
• Atrial Fibrillation: Should I Have Catheter Ablation?
• Atrial Fibrillation: Should I Take an Anticoagulant to Prevent Stroke?
• Atrial Fibrillation: Should I Try Electrical Cardioversion?
• Atrial Fibrillation: Which Anticoagulant Should I Take to Prevent Stroke?
• Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have an Angiogram?
• Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have Angioplasty for Stable Angina?
• Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have Bypass Surgery?
• Coronary Calcium Scan: Should I Have This Test?
• Heart Failure: Should I Get a Pacemaker (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy)?
• Heart Failure: Should I Get an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?
• Heart Rate Problems: Should I Get a Pacemaker?
• Heart Rhythm Problems: Should I Get an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?
• Heart Valve Problems: Should I Choose a Mechanical Valve or Tissue Valve to Replace My Heart Valve?
• High Blood Pressure: Should I Take Medicine?
• Peripheral Arterial Disease: Should I Have Surgery?
• Statins: Should I Take Them to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?
• Stroke Prevention: Should I Have a Carotid Artery Procedure?
• Stroke: Should I Move My Loved One Into Long-Term Care?
• Supraventricular Tachycardia: Should I Have Catheter Ablation?
• Varicose Veins: Should I Have a Surgical Procedure?

Interactive Tools

• Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Increase Your Risk of Heart Attack?

Medical Tests

• Ambulatory Electrocardiogram
• Angiogram
• Angiogram of the Head and Neck
• Angiogram of the Lung
• Arterial Blood Gases
• Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)
• Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Test
• Cardiac Blood Pool Scan
• Cardiac Catheterization
• Cardiac Enzyme Studies
• Cardiac Perfusion Scan
• Catecholamines in Blood
• Catecholamines in Urine
• Chest X-Ray
• Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests
• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
• Computed Tomography Angiogram (CT Angiogram)
• Coronary Calcium Scan
• Creatine Kinase
• Doppler Ultrasound
• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram
• Electrophysiology Study
• Exercise Electrocardiogram
• High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein
• Home Blood Pressure Test
• Lyme Disease Test
• Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Myoglobin
• Pericardial Drainage
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
• Pulse Measurement
• Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

Medications

• Aldosterone Receptor Antagonists: Diuretics for Heart Failure
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs) for High Blood Pressure
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors for Coronary Artery Disease
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors for High Blood Pressure
• Anticoagulants for Coronary Artery Disease
• Aspirin and Antiplatelets for Coronary Artery Disease
• Beta-Blockers for Coronary Artery Disease
• Beta-Blockers for Heart Attack and Unstable Angina
• Beta-Blockers for High Blood Pressure
• Bile Acid Sequestrants for High Cholesterol
• Calcium Channel Blockers for Coronary Artery Disease
• Calcium Channel Blockers for High Blood Pressure
• Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors for High Cholesterol
• Direct Renin Inhibitors for High Blood Pressure
• Diuretics for High Blood Pressure
• Fibric Acid Derivatives for High Cholesterol
• Nicotinic Acid (Niacin) for High Cholesterol
• Nitrates for Coronary Artery Disease
• Other Medicines for High Blood Pressure