Heart Health Center

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is an aneurysm (blood vessel rupture) in the part of the aorta that passes through the belly (abdomen). Learn about causes, symptoms, surgical and non-surgical treatments options, risks, and survival rates.

Anemia (lack of blood) symptoms can vary depending on the cause. Symptoms may include fatigue, pale skin, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness. There are several anemia types. Anemia treatment depends upon the type.

Classic angina symptoms are described as chest pressure that radiates down the arm, into the neck or jaw and is associated with shortness of breath and sweating. Typical angina symptoms should be made worse with activity and should resolve or get better with rest. Angina may not have any pain and instead may present as shortness of breath with exercise, malaise, fatigue, or weakness.

Aortic dissection is a small tear in the large blood vessel that leads from the heart and supplies blood to the body. Symptoms of aortic dissection include a tearing or ripping pain, nausea, sweating, weakness, shortness of breath, sweating, or fainting. Treatment depends on the type of aortic dissection, and the severity of the tear in the aorta.

Aortic stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart. Symptoms include chest pain, fatigue, fainting, and shortness of breath and may be mild to severe. Read about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM is a medical condition that causes thickening of the heart muscles (the myocardium). It is a serious disorder that adversely affects the pumping of the heart and makes it prone to an abnormal rhythm. HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in individuals aged less than 30 years.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common heart rhythm abnormality with symptoms like dizziness, fainting, weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Types of AFib include paroxysmal and nonvalvular. Discover causes, symptoms, and effective treatment and management options to improve your heart health and find relief from AFib.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a heart rhythm disorder that causes irregular and often rapid heartbeat. The medications to treat AFib include beta-blockers, blood thinners, and heart rhythm drugs. Atrial fibrillation drugs can cause serious side effects like seizures, vision changes, shortness of breath, fainting, other abnormal heart rhythms, excessive bleeding while coughing or vomiting, blood in the stool, and bleeding into the brain.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) and ventricular fibrillation (VFib) are problems with the heart that cause abnormal heart rhythms. Check out the center below for more medical references on heart conditions, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.

Atrial fibrillation or AFib is a type of heart rhythm abnormality. Early warning signs and symptoms of atrial fibrillation include chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. Treatment for atrial fibrillation includes medical procedures, surgery, and medication.

Atrial flutter is a problem with the atria of the heart. In atrial flutter the atria of the heart rapidly and repeatedly beat due to an anomaly in the electrical system of the heart. It is a type of arrhythmia and can be dangerous because complications can develop easily. Signs and symptoms of atrial flutter include near fainting, palpitations, mild shortness of breath, and fatigue. While the exact cause of atrial flutter is not clearly understood, it's most likely related to your health, what medical conditions you certainly have, poor diet, lack of exercise, and drinking too much alcohol. Atrial flutter is diagnosed by physical examination, medical history, and a sawtooth ECG wave pattern.

Atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation (AFib) are two types of atrial tachycardia. Both of these conditions involve the heart's electrical activity, but they are not the same thing. Both of these diseases are serious and need medical treatment. Common symptoms of both conditions include palpitations, fatigue, chest pain, and blurry vision.

Beta Thalassemia is the most familiar type of thalassemia. Thalassemia is not just one disease but rather a complex series of genetic (inherited) disorders all of which involve underproduction of hemoglobin. Beta thalassemia major symptoms include pale skin, irritability, growth retardation, swelling of the abdomen, and jaundice. Beta thalassemia treatments include directly relieving the symptoms of the illness.

Blood clots can form in the heart, legs, arteries, veins, bladder, urinary tract, and uterus. Risk factors include high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. Symptoms and treatment depend on the location of the clot.

A hemorrhagic stroke is a serious medical emergency and should be treated immediately. While survival rates are low, there are ways to improve your chances. Learn how to spot hemorrhagic symptoms, what causes them, and how they can be treated.

Sleep studies are used to identify sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and parasomnias. People with heart failure are more likely to experience central sleep apnea.

Acute limb ischemia caused by DVT is a rare and potentially fatal complication that can result in arterial circulation impairment, tissue ischemia, or limb gangrene.

For people prescribed aspirin for serious disease conditions, missing your doses could prove serious and, even, fatal, in some cases.

Since caffeine can reduce the efficacy of beta-blockers, it is advisable to avoid drinking excess coffee while taking these medications.

There are two types of cholesterol in your body. Doctors cannot remove plaque completely from your arteries, but treatments can reduce the size of a blockage.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is not a life-threatening condition if it is detected and treated in the early stages.

Your heart pumps blood throughout your body. You can tell if your heart is healthy by taking 10,000 steps per day and having good blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol and blood sugar numbers.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy, the rarest form of cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the walls of the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles) are abnormally rigid and lack the flexibility to expand as the ventricles fill with blood. The pumping or systolic function of the ventricle may be normal but the diastolic function (the ability of the heart to fill with blood) is abnormal. Therefore, it is harder for the ventricles to fill with blood, and with time, the heart loses the ability to pump blood properly, leading to heart failure.

Chest pain may be caused by many conditions. Learn when chest discomfort, pressure, and tightness is a medical emergency. Find out the most likely causes of left-sided chest pain and chest pain when breathing. Read about potential underlying causes of chest pain including muscle pain, coronary artery disease, coronary artery dissection, esophageal conditions, gallbladder problems, GERD, heart attack, lung problems, and more. Discover how chest pain in women differs from that in men.

Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.

Claudication is lower leg pain and/or cramping due to limited blood flow and lack of oxygen as a result of hardened or blocked arteries (atherosclerosis). Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the most common cause. Learn more about other causes, symptoms, and how to treat claudication.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) refers to a condition in which the heart loses the ability to function properly. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathies are just a few potential causes of congestive heart failure. Symptoms of congestive heart failure may include fatigue, breathlessness, palpitations, angina, and edema.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the deep veins, and can be caused by broken bones, trauma to a limb, immobility, medications, smoking, cancer, genetic predisposition, and cancer. Symptoms and signs of a deep vein thrombosis in a leg are swelling, tenderness, redness, warmth, and pain. Treatments for DVT include medications and surgery.

Dilated cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscles to progressively enlarge and weaken, reducing the ability of the heart to pump enough blood. Check out the center below for more medical references on heart disease, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related diseases, treatment, diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) symptoms typically become more manageable over time, and, in some cases, symptoms may even disappear completely.

After surgery, your heart rate may increase. The condition is called postoperative tachycardia, in which heart rates are higher than 100 beats per minute.

Deep vein thrombosis or DVT is a condition in which a blood clot becomes embedded in one of the deep veins of the arms, thighs, pelvis, or lower legs. Warning signs and symptoms of DVT include pain, warmth, redness, swelling, leg cramps, and worsening leg pain in the affected extremity. Many conditions and other factors can cause DVTs, for example, during pregnancy including postpartum (6-8 weeks after delivery of the baby), obesity, heart attacks or heart failure, cancer, birth control pills (oral contraceptives), recent surgery, high altitudes, and advanced age. Treatment guidelines for DVT diagnosed during pregnancy is anticoagulation (anti-clotting) drugs, usually, low-molecular-weight heparins. DVT treatment may need to be continued postpartum. Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) should not be used to treat DVT during pregnancy because it can harm the developing fetus.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that has traveled deep into the veins of the arm, pelvis, or lower extremities. Oral contraceptives or birth control pills can slightly increase a woman's risk for developing blood clots, including DVT. DVT symptoms and signs in the leg include leg or calf pain, redness, swelling, warmth, or leg cramps, and skin discoloration. If a blood clot in the leg is not treated, it can travel to the lungs, which can cause a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) or post-thrombotic syndrome, both of which can be fatal if not treated immediately. Increased risk factors for DVT and birth control pills include over 40 years of age, family history, smoking, and obesity. Other medical problems that increase the risks of blood clots, for example, lung or heart disease, or inflammatory bowel disease or IBD (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). Other options for preventing pregnancy include IUDs, birth control shots, condoms, diaphragms, and progestin-only oral contraceptives.

Endocarditis is a serious bacterial infection of one of the four heart valves. Endocarditis symptoms include fever, fatigue, weakness, chills, aching muscles and joints, night sweats, edema in the legs, feet, or abdomen, malaise, shortness of breath, and small skin lesions. Treatment for endocarditis usually involves antibiotics.

Fainting, passing out, blacking out, or syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness caused by a variety of situations such as vasovagal syncope, low blood pressure, and anemia. Learn about additional causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies.

The heart is a very important organ in the body. It is responsible for continuously pumping oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout your body to sustain life. It is a fist-sized muscle that beats (expands and contracts) 100,000 times per day, pumping a total of five or six quarts of blood each minute, or about 2,000 gallons per day.

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when the sudden blockage of a coronary artery, usually because of blood clot, causes damage and death to heart muscle. Symptoms of a heart attack may include chest discomfort often described as a pain, pressure or tightness associated with shortness of breath, sweating and nausea.

The process of developing hardening of the arteries begins in early childhood. This process puts a person at risk for heart attack and other coronary artery diseases. Once this process begins, it cannot be reversed. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, you are at a higher risk of having a heart attack.

Heartburn is a symptom of another disease or medical problem and can be described as a feeling of burning in the chest accompanied by symptoms of nausea, vomiting, or a sour taste or food stuck in the back of the throat. Heart attack occurs when an artery in the heart is completely blocked by a blood clot, which causes that portion of heart muscle to die. Heart attack also has symptoms of chest pain, nausea, and vomiting, however, other warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack are unusual weakness or fatigue, and persistent and/or increased severity of symptoms over a few minutes. Heart attack is a life threatening emergency. If you think you or someone you are with is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately for urgent medical treatment. It may save your life.

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) happens when a clot completely blocks an artery supplying blood to the heart muscle, which results in heart muscle death. A stroke happens when part of the brain loses its blood supply (ischemic stroke) or there is bleeding within the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). Both heart attack and stroke can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Heart disease (coronary artery disease) occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart. Heart disease can lead to heart attack. Treatment of heart disease involves control of heart disease risk factors through lifestyle changes, medications, and/or stenting or bypass surgery. Heart disease can be prevented by controlling heart disease risk factors.

A heart murmur is a heart problem that can occur, for example, during pregnancy or exercise, or it can be a symptom of a serious heart condition, for example, congenital heart defects or heart valve disease. A heart murmur makes a whooshing or swishing sound. Symptoms of a heart murmur include swelling of the legs or feet, dizziness or lightheadedness, blackouts, chest pain, rapid heart rate (palpitations), difficulty doing normal daily activities, fatigue, and a bluish tinge on the skin, lips, and fingernails. Treatment for heart murmurs in infants, children, and adults depends on the cause. Some heart murmurs can be harmless while some are serious and life-threatening.

When you experience heart palpitations, you feel like your heart is racing or pounding. Anxiety, panic disorders, overeating, pregnancy, and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) can cause or trigger heart palpitations. Most palpitations are not serious, however, palpitations caused by a heart condition like atrial fibrillation can be serious and require medical treatment.

Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) occur when the heart's electrical system malfunctions. Discover the different types (like atrial fibrillation), causes, symptoms, diagnostic methods, treatment options, and prevention tips.

Hemophilia is defined as one of a group of inherited bleeding disorders. Hemophilia A and hemophilia B are inherited in an X-linked recessive genetic pattern. Symptoms of hemophilia include bleeding into the joints, muscles, GI or urinary tract, or brain or skull. Hemophilia treatment generally involves the replacement of blood clotting factors.

The high-sensitive troponin test can detect very low levels of troponin T in the blood. (There are three types of cardiac troponin proteins, I, T, and C.), which helps doctors diagnose a heart attack more quickly. If troponin levels are elevated high and the ECG (EKG, electrocardiogram) indicates an acute heart attack, immediate cardiac intervention such as catheterization, stents, or a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The high-sensitive troponin test can help diagnose heart conditions such as obstructive coronary disease (CAD), stable angina, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, chronic heart failure, myocarditis, aortic dissection, cardiotoxic chemotherapy, blunt trauma to the chest, and strenuous exercise, for example, endurance athletes. You can prevent elevated troponin levels in the blood with a heart-healthy lifestyle a heart-healthy diet, maintaining your weight, limit alcohol, don’t smoke, practice stress reduction through stress reduction techniques, meditation, and yoga, manage your blood pressure and diabetes, and take all of your medications as your doctor has instructed you. Call 911 immediately if you have chest pain and have symptoms of a heart attack, which include nausea, vomiting, belching, indigestion, upper abdominal discomfort that feels like stomach pain in the middle of the upper abdomen, upper back and arm pain, feeling as though you are getting the flu, sweating, a vague feeling of illness, and sweating.

High blood pressure is diagnosed when the force of your blood pressing against the artery wall is too high for an extended period of time. Bring your blood pressure down immediately by taking a hot shower or bath and practicing deep breathing and relaxation techniques.

Anemia describes a condition in which you have a low red blood cell count and low hemoglobin levels. This is a serious condition as red blood cells and hemoglobin carry oxygen to all your cells, allowing them to burn energy. If you're anemic, you'll likely feel fatigued and short of breath, lacking physical stamina. You may have heart problems and appear pale. Anemia is often a symptom of some other disease or condition, so treatment varies widely depending on the root cause.

May-Thurner syndrome occurs when the right iliac artery compresses the left iliac vein. Learn the causes, symptoms, risk factors, stages, diagnosis, and treatment of MTS.

Learn what medical treatments can help with swollen feet and ankles and speed up your recovery from swollen feet and ankles.

You can strengthen your heart after heart failure by making recommended changes to your diet, exercising regularly, and adopting healthy habits.

A biventricular pacemaker is a special type of pacemaker to treat heart failure with abnormal electrical systems. This type of pacemaker stimulates the lower left and right chamber of the heart.

The term carotid artery disease refers to the narrowing of the carotid arteries and can also be called carotid stenosis. Fatty substance buildup and cholesterol deposits, called plaque are the cause of the narrowing arteries. Carotid artery disease can be treated by following recommended lifestyle changes, taking prescription medications, and considering a procedure to improve blood flow, if your doctor believes it could help.

Porphyria, also known as “vampire disease,” is diagnosed through special tests, such as blood tests, fecal tests and urine tests, to look for excessive levels of porphyrin in the body.

Catheterization is the process where doctors use a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to look at the heart. Right heart catheterization is performed by going into a vein.

In most cases, most children can live a normal life after pacemaker surgery.

A biventricular pacemaker is a battery-operated device used to treat delay in contractions of the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). As per research, patients with a biventricular pacemaker have better survival rates after the diagnosis is made. The average life increases approximately between 8.5 and 20 years, depending on the overall health, age, and lifestyle.

What is the life expectancy of people with heart failure? Learn about survival rates, determining factors, and lifestyle changes that may help increase your life expectancy.

The heart has two upper (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). There are certain structures, called valves, present in the heart to regulate the flow of blood into, within, and out of the heart. These valves are flaps present at specific junctions in the heart.

An electrophysiology (EP) study is a test performed to determine the cause of abnormal heart rhythm and it usually takes about one to four hours to complete. However, it may take longer if additional treatments such as catheter ablation are performed at the same time by your heart surgeon.

Sudden coronary artery dissection (SCAD) may heal within a few weeks to several months.

During a heart catheterization, doctors insert the tube into a blood vessel. There are two types of cardiac catheterization, left and right heart catheterization.

The bone marrow donor procedure may involve some pain once the anesthesia wears off. Painkillers may be needed for the next few days.

Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure that is considered to be safe for most patients. The procedure helps doctors find and fix any heart problems. It is a low-risk procedure and complications are usually rare, but as with any procedure, complications may arise.

For most people, a right bundle branch block (RBBB) is not a concern since it doesn’t result in symptoms and treatment is not required. However, in some cases, if RBBB develops after a heart attack it may indicate serious heart muscle damage.

An aortobifemoral bypass is a major surgery that has a success rate of about 80% and a mortality rate of about 2%-5%. Learn about associated risks and complications.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a serious condition because it increases the chances of life-threatening conditions, such as heart failure, irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), and blood clots. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common type of cardiomyopathy. In this condition, the walls of the heart become thin and the heart gets larger.

A stent is a tube that the surgeon fixes in a blocked artery. Most sites of stent placement are carotid arteries and coronary arteries.

Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is an abnormality in the heart’s electrical conduction system. Learn about symptoms and treatment.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is typically not serious unless you have an underlying heart condition. Learn about causes, symptoms, and when to call a doctor.

Water retention or fluid retention can be caused due to several medical conditions and some medications. Edema is the medical term for swelling caused by the retention of excessive fluids in the body tissues.

Hyperkalemia is an abnormally high level of potassium in the blood. Hyperkalemia symptoms include nausea, fatigue, tingling sensations, or muscle weakness. Hyperkalemia may also cause no symptoms. Hyperkalemia treatment may include a low-potassium diet, medications, and intravenous glucose and insulin. Causes of hyperkalemia include kidney dysfunction, certain medications, adrenal gland diseases, and potassium shifts.

Hyponatremia or low sodium levels in the blood can result in symptoms such as headache, confusion, seizures, weakness, restlessness, and muscle spasms. Kidney or congestive heart failure, hypothyroidism, cirrhosis, medications, or strenuous exercise without electrolyte replacement can cause hyponatremia. Treatment for hyponatremia are diet changes and electrolyte replacement with an IV.

If your systolic blood pressure is normal (between 100-120), and your diastolic blood pressure is lower (60 or below), you are considered to have low blood pressure, or isolated diastolic hypotension. Low diastolic blood pressure should be monitored closely.

Cardiac (heart) ablation is a procedure performed to correct heart arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm/beat). Cardiac ablation works by intentionally injuring or destroying (ablating) and scarring the tissue in the heart that triggers the abnormal heart rhythm.

A pacemaker is a small, battery-operated device that sends signals to the heart to regulate the heartbeat. The pacemaker senses when the heart beats irregularly (arrhythmia) or if it beats too slow (bradycardia) and sends corrective signals to the heart muscles. Modern-day pacemakers can fix arrhythmias and help restore normal heart function.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a syndrome characterized by increased heart rate (tachycardia), a fall in blood pressure (hypotension) and giddiness when standing (orthostatic). In POTS, the symptoms occur because the heart does not receive sufficient blood supply when the person stands upright.

Sinus arrhythmia is a common, harmless condition that is not necessarily dangerous; however, it should be evaluated if accompanied by other signs of heart problems.

A person experiencing tachycardia has a resting heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute (bpm). Atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia and the three forms of supraventricular tachycardia.

People who are accurately diagnosed, adapt proper lifestyles and receive appropriate medical and surgical management may live for a normal life span (into their 70s). However, there are no guarantees. Having Marfan syndrome does not mean patients might not acquire other conditions that are common in the aging population.

Mitral valve prolapse is a common abnormality of the heart when the valve between the upper and lower left chambers doesn't close properly. Most people do show symptoms and do not require treatment. However, when symptoms do show, they include anxiety, sharp chest pain, palpitations, and migraines.

Myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms are different types of blood disorders. Check out the center below for more medical references on blood disorders, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle and can be caused by a variety of infections, conditions, and viruses. Symptoms of myocarditis include chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and fluid accumulation.

Orthostatic hypotension is a type of low blood pressure in which a person becomes dizzy, lightheaded, or faints when moving from a sitting position to a standing position. There are a variety of causes of this condition such as dehydration, medications, and diseases and conditions. Treatment depends on the cause of the condition.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria or PNH is a rare genetic disease in which there is an abnormal breakdown of red blood cells. Symptoms of PHN include irregular heartbeats, chest pain, abdominal pain, anemia, jaundice, seizure, and blood clots in the legs (DVTs). Treatment for PNH is directed toward the symptoms of the disease.

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is an abnormal conduction of electricity in particular areas of the heart. PSVT was referred to at one time as paroxysmal atrial tachycardia or PAT, however, the term PAT is reserved for as specific heart condition. Symptoms of PSVT include weakness, shortness of breath, chest pressure, lightheadedness, and palpitations. PSVT is treated with medications or procedures that return the heart to its normal electrical pattern.

Pericarditis is a heart condition in which the pericardium (the sac around your heart) is inflamed. The inflammation may produce a collection of fluid in the pericardial sac called pericardial effusion. Learn the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatments for pericarditis.

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) refers to diseases of the blood vessels (arteries and veins) located outside the heart and brain. Doctors commonly use the term peripheral vascular disease to refer to peripheral artery disease (peripheral arterial disease, PAD), a condition that develops when the arteries that supply blood to the internal organs, arms, and legs become completely or partially blocked as a result of atherosclerosis.

Pernicious anemia is a blood disorder in which the body does not make enough red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12 in the blood. Pernicious anemia can develop from a lack of a protein that helps the body absorb vitamin B12, not getting enough B12 in the diet, and certain intestinal conditions that interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12 such as Crohn's disease, celiac sprue, or ulcerative colitis. There is no cure for pernicious anemia, thus treatment is life-long.

Phlebitis is the inflammation of a vein. Thrombophlebitis is when a blood clot causes inflammation. Phlebitis can be superficial or deeper in the veins. A blood clot deep in a vein is deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Some of the common causes of phlebitis include prolonged inactivity, varicose veins, trauma to a vein, underlying cancers, clotting disorders, and other causes. Symptoms of phlebitis may be mild (pain, tenderness, redness, or bulging of a vein. Treatment of phlebitis depends on the cause.

Immune thrombocytopenia is a platelet disorder triggered in adults by infections. Check out the center below for more medical references on platelet disorders, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are premature, extra or irregular heartbeats that originate from the heart ventricles and disrupt heart rhythm. Explore causes such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, alcohol, and excess caffeine.

Renal artery stenosis is a narrowing of the diameter of the renal arteries. When the renal arteries narrow, the result is restricted blood flow to the kidneys, which may lead to impaired kidney function and high blood pressure (referred to as renovascular hypertension (RVHT). Renal artery stenosis can occur in one or both kidneys. The primary cause of renal artery stenosis is atherosclerosis. Symptoms of renal artery stenosis include high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment and severe high blood pressure in individuals younger than 30 or greater than 50 years of age. Renal artery stenosis is diagnosed with imaging and functional tests. Treatment for renal artery stenosis includes medication or surgery.

CoQ10, short for coenzyme Q10, is a compound that’s naturally found in your body. CoQ10 is generally well-tolerated with very few side effects and is safe to take, but since lots of studies show that CoQ10 supplements might not have any benefit unless you have a health problem, it’s likely best to get it naturally from food.

A pacemaker is a small device that sends electrical impulses to the heart muscles to maintain a suitable heart rate and rhythm. Pacemakers are used to treat an abnormal heart rate (arrhythmias).

Hereditary spherocytosis is a blood disorder that is inherited. In hereditary spherocytosis, the red blood cells are sphere-shaped instead of the normal shape of red blood cells, which is a concave disk shape. Signs and symptoms of hereditary spherocytosis include paleness, yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice), splenomegally, and gallbladder problems. Hereditary spherocytosis is treated with phototherapy, transfusions, and folic acid supplementation.

A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain caused by either a blood clot (ischemic) or bleeding (hemorrhagic). Symptoms of a stroke may include weakness, numbness, double vision or vision loss, confusion, vertigo, difficulty speaking, or understanding speech. A physical exam, imaging tests, neurological exam, and blood tests may be used to diagnose a stroke.

A stroke or "brain attack" is caused because blood flow to an area of the brain has been cut off by a blood clot or by a weakened or damaged blood vessel (for example, head trauma). The damaged area of the brain dies, which results in loss of function like speech capabilities, muscle movement, or muscles of an extremity like an arm or leg is reduced or lost completely. An aneurysm is a weakness in an artery wall. This weakness in the wall causes the artery to widen or balloon out, and then they rupture or break open.

Sudden cardiac arrest is an unexpected, sudden death caused by sudden cardiac arrest (loss of heart function). Treatment of sudden cardiac arrest is an emergency, and action must be taken immediately.

The survival rate for a heart valve replacement surgery depends on which valve is involved. This was analyzed in a large study in which the lifespan of a large population, who went ahead with the surgery, is observed for a specific timeframe.