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. Read more: How the Heart Works Article
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
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Heart Disease: Causes of a Heart Attack
Learn about heart disease and heart attack symptoms and signs of a heart attack in men and women. Read about heart disease...
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Heart Disease: Symptoms, Signs, and Causes
What is heart disease (coronary artery disease)? Learn about the causes of heart disease. Symptoms of heart disease include chest...
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How to Lower Blood Pressure: Exercise Tips
Trying to lower high blood pressure (hypertension)? Discover exercises good for lowering blood pressure, along with other...
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Am I Having a Heart Attack? Symptoms of Heart Disease
Heart attacks symptoms vary greatly for men and women, from anxiety and fatigue to nausea and sweating. Learn the warning signs...
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Picture of Heart Detail
The heart is composed of specialized cardiac muscle, and it is four-chambered, with a right atrium and ventricle, and an...
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Picture of Heart
The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. See a picture of the Heart and learn more...
Related Disease Conditions
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Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Symptoms, Stages, and Prognosis
Congestive heart failure (CHF) refers to a condition in which the heart loses the ability to function properly. Heart disease,...
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Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension) Symptoms and Treatments
Low blood pressure, also referred to as hypotension, is blood pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the...
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Peripheral Vascular Disease
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) refers to diseases of the blood vessels (arteries and veins) located outside the heart and...
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High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
High blood pressure is defined as a pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher in the arteries. Genetic factors, high salt intake, and...
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Pulmonary Edema
Pulmonary edema (swelling or fluid in the lungs) can either be caused by cardiogenic causes (congestive heart failure, heart...
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Heart Disease
Heart disease (coronary artery disease) occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to...
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Heart Failure
Heart failure (congestive) is caused by many conditions including coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiomyopathy, and...
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Blood Clots
Blood clots can occur in the venous and arterial vascular system. Blood clots can form in the heart, legs, arteries, veins,...
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Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs, PVC)
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs, PVC) are premature heartbeats originating from the ventricles of the heart. PVCs are...
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Orthostatic Hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension symptoms include: LightheadednessWeaknessBlurred vision Syncope or passing out Causes of...
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Marfan Syndrome
Marfan syndrome is hereditary (genetic) condition affecting connective tissue. A person with Marfan syndrome may exhibit the...
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Heart Attack
Heart attack happens when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. A heart attack...
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Heart Valve Disease
Heart valve disease occurs when the heart valves do not work the way they should. Symptoms of valve disease include shortness of...
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Pulmonary Hypertension (Symptoms, Treatment Medications, Life Expectancy)
Pulmonary hypertension is an increase pressure in the pulmonary arteries that carry blood from the lungs to the heart. The most...
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Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is also also known as "click murmur syndrome" and "Barlow's syndrome." Mitral valve prolapse is the...
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Abnormal Heart Rhythms (Heart Rhythm Disorders)
Heart rhythm disorders vary from minor palpitations, premature atrial contractions (PACs), premature ventricular contractions...
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Heart Murmur
A heart murmur is the sound generated when blood flow within the heart is not smooth. Causes of heart murmurs can be functional,...
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Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is an abnormal conduction of electricity in particular areas of the heart. PSVT...
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Atrial Fibrillation (AF, AFib)
Atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib) is an abnormality in the heart rhythm which involves irregular and often rapid beating of the...
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Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest is an unexpected, sudden death caused by sudden cardiac arrest (loss of heart function). Causes and risk...
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Diabetes Symptoms in Women
Diabetes is a disease where your body does not make enough insulin or does not use insulin correctly, and you blood sugar...
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Hypothermia
Hyothermia or extreme exposure to cold can be classified as either accidental hypothermia (unintentional cold exposure) and...
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Atrial Flutter
Atrial flutter is a problem with the atria of the heart. In atrial flutter the atria of the heart rapidly and repeatedly beat...
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Prediabetes
Prediabetes is a situation where a person's blood sugar levels are higher than they should be, but aren't high enough to be...
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Aortic Dissection
Aortic dissection is a small tear in the large blood vessel that leads from the heart and supplies blood to the body. There are...
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Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms (AFib Warning Signs)
Atrial fibrillation or AFib is a type of hear rhythm abnormality. Early warning signs and symptoms of atrial fibrillation...
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Congenital Heart Defects
Congenital heart defects are heart problems that are present at birth. Genetics may play a role in some heart defects. Symptoms...
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Atrial Fibrillation vs. Ventricular Fibrillation (AFib vs VFib ECG Strips)
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) and ventricular fibrillation (VFib) are problems with the heart that cause abnormal heart rhythms....
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Heart Attacks in Women
Heart disease, particularly coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart attacks. Women are more likely to die from a...
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Stroke Prevention
Stroke is the third leading killer in the United States. Some of the warning signs of stroke include sudden confusion, trouble...
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How to Lower Your Cholesterol
Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body, and is a building block for cell membranes and hormones. Low-density lipoprotein...
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Smoking and Heart Disease
Smoking increases the risk of heart disease in women and men. Nicotine in cigarettes decrease oxygen to the heart, increases...
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Vitamins & Exercise: Heart Attack Prevention Series
Vitamins and exercise can lower your risk for heart attack and heart disease. Folic acid, vitamins, and homocysteine levels are...
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Heart Attack Prevention Overview
Heart attacks are the major causes of unexpected, sudden death among men and women. A heart attack also is a significant cause...
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Heart Attack Prevention
Heart disease and heart attacks can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise, and stress management....
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Lipodystrophy (Acquired, Generalized, Inherited)
Lipodystrophy is a syndrome in which fat deposits accumulate all over the body, or sometimes just portions of it, like just the...
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Biorhythms
Biologic rhythms, or biorhythms, are how our bodies respond to the regular phases of the sun, moon, and seasons. A medical...
Treatment & Diagnosis
Medications & Supplements
- Beta Blockers (Drug Class, List of Brand and Generic Names)
- ACE Inhibitors (Side Effects, List of Names, Uses, and Dosage)
- Aldactone (spironolactone)
- metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
- Lipitor (atorvastatin)
- Anticoagulants (Anticoagulant Drug Class)
- lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil, Qbrelis) ACE Inhibitor
- Nitrates (Medication)
- digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxin Pediatric)
- Zocor (simvastatin)
- alteplase (TPA, Activase, Cathflo Activase)
- Congestive Heart Failure Medications
- Vasodilators (Drug Class Side Effects, List of Names)
- colestipol (Colestid)
- Aspirin Therapy (Guidelines for Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention)
- warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
- Beta Blocker Side Effects (Adverse Effects)
- Lovenox (enoxaparin)
- felodipine (Plendil)
- Entresto (sacubitril and valsartan)
- gemfibrozil, Lopid
- dopamine (hydrochloride; Intropin - Discontinued in the US)
- quinidine (Discontinued Brands: Cardioquine, Cin-Quin, Duraquin, Quinidex, Quinora, Quinact)
- propafenone (Rythmol, Rythmol SR)
- dobutamine (injection; Dobutrex has been discontinued)
- Repatha (evolocumab)
- timolol (Blocadren and Timolide 10-25 have been discontinued)
- cangrelor (Kengreal)
- bepridil (Vascor, Bepadin - Discontinued)
Prevention & Wellness
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