Heart Diseases

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseases.html

Also called: Cardiac disease

If you're like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for other folks. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks.

Other kinds of heart problems may happen to the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some people are born with heart disease.

You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by taking steps to control factors that put you at greater risk:

    * Control your blood pressure
    * Lower your cholesterol
    * Don't smoke
    * Get enough exercise

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Start Here

    * Heart Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/HeartDisease/
    * Heart Disease Risk Questionnaire(Siteman Cancer Center) - http://www.yourdiseaserisk.siteman.wustl.edu/hccpquiz.pl?lang=english&func=start&quiz=heart
      Also available in Spanish http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/hccpquiz.pl?lang=spanish&func=start&quiz=heart
    * Your Guide to Living Well with Heart DiseaseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/your_guide/living_hd_fs.pdf

Overviews

    * Cardiovascular Disease 101: Understanding Heart and Blood Vessel Conditions(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cardiovascular-disease/HB00032/METHOD=print
    * Heart and Vascular DiseasesFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/

Latest News

    * Pain in Chest, Upper Abdomen an Ominous Sign(08/05/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67764.html
    * Taking Depression to Heart(08/01/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67679.html
    * Heart Patients Often Have Unhealthy Lipid Levels(07/29/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67483.html
    * More News on Heart Diseases http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_h.html#heartdiseases

Diagnosis/Symptoms

    * Cardiac CatheterizationFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cath/cath_what.html
    * NewCardiac CTFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ct/ct_whatis.html
    * NewCardiac MRIFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/mri/mri_whatis.html
    * Computer Imaging / Tomography(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4554
    * Coronary Angiogram and AngioplastyInteractive Tutorial(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/coronaryangiographyandpossibleangioplasty/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/coronaryangiographyandpossibleangioplastyspanish/htm/index.htm
    * Diagnostic Tests and Procedures(Texas Heart Institute) - http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Topics/Diag/
      Also available in Spanish http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Topics_Esp/Diag/diagtest_sp.cfm
    * EchocardiogramInteractive Tutorial(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/echocardiogram/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/echocardiogramspanish/htm/index.htm
    * NewEchocardiographyFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/echo/echo_whatis.html
    * Echocardiography Stress TestInteractive Tutorial(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/echocardiography/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/echocardiographyspanish/htm/index.htm
    * Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)From the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ekg/ekg_what.html
    * Frequently Asked Questions about Transesophageal Echocardiograms(American Society of Echocardiography) - http://www.seemyheart.org/tee.php
    * Invasive Testing(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/services/tests/invasive/default.aspx
    * Laboratory Tests(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/services/tests/labtests/default.aspx
    * Most Common Heart Ultrasound: Transthoracic Echocardiogram(American Society of Echocardiography) - http://www.seemyheart.org/tte.php
    * NewNuclear Heart ScanFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/nscan/nscan_whatis.html
    * NewStress TestingFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/stress/stress_whatis.html

Treatment

    * MedlinePlus: Heart SurgeryFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartsurgery.html
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/heartsurgery.html
    * What Are Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Agents?Easy-to-Read(American Heart Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1196965757160AnticoagandAntiplat.pdf

Prevention/Screening

    * Cardiac Risk Assessment(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cardiac_risk/glance.html
    * Cholesterol Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cholesterol/test.html
    * hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hscrp/test.html
    * Lipid Profile(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lipid/glance.html
    * MedlinePlus: Heart Diseases--PreventionFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseasesprevention.html
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/heartdiseasesprevention.html

Rehabilitation/Recovery

    * NewCardiac RehabilitationFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/rehab/rehab_whatis.html
    * Cardiac RehabilitationInteractive Tutorial(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/cardiacrehabilitation/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/cardiacrehabilitationspanish/htm/index.htm
    * Cardiac Rehabilitation: Building a Better Life After Heart Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cardiac-rehabilitation/HB00017/METHOD=print

Disease Management

    * Left Ventricular Assist Device(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4599

Specific Conditions

    * Enlarged Heart: What Are the Causes?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/enlarged-heart/HQ00623/METHOD=print
    * Heart Palpitations(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/831.printerview.html
      Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/831.printerview.html
    * Heart Tumors(InteliHealth) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/11162/275183.html?d=dmtContent
    * JAMA Patient Page: Pericardial Effusion(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/297/16/1844.pdf
      Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/297/16/1844/DC1/1
    * Left Ventricular Hypertrophy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/left-ventricular-hypertrophy/DS00680/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
    * Pericarditis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/pericarditis/DS00505/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
    * NewPericarditisFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/peri/peri_whatis.html
    * Silent Ischemia and Ischemic Heart Disease(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4720


Health Check Tools

    * Heart Disease Risk Questionnaire(Siteman Cancer Center) - http://www.yourdiseaserisk.siteman.wustl.edu/hccpquiz.pl?lang=english&func=start&quiz=heart
      Also available in Spanish http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/hccpquiz.pl?lang=spanish&func=start&quiz=heart

Tutorials

    * Cardiac Rehabilitation(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/cardiacrehabilitation/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/cardiacrehabilitationspanish/htm/index.htm
    * Coronary Angiogram and Angioplasty(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/coronaryangiographyandpossibleangioplasty/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/coronaryangiographyandpossibleangioplastyspanish/htm/index.htm
    * Echocardiogram(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/echocardiogram/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/echocardiogramspanish/htm/index.htm
    * Echocardiography Stress Test(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/echocardiography/htm/index.htm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/echocardiographyspanish/htm/index.htm

Games

    * NewPlay the Electrocardiogram Game(Nobel Foundation) - Requires Flash Player - http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/ecg/

Anatomy/Physiology

    * Healthy Heart(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/healthyheart/healthyheart.html
    * Heart Anatomy(Texas Heart Institute) - http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Anatomy/anatomy2.cfm
      Also available in Spanish http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Anatomy_Esp/anato_sp.cfm
    * How the Heart WorksFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hhw/hhw_whatis.html

Clinical Trials

    * ClinicalTrials.gov: Cardiovascular DiseasesFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Cardiovascular+Diseases%22
    * ClinicalTrials.gov: Heart DiseasesFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Heart+Diseases%22
    * Learn More about Chelation Therapy and the StudyFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/chelation/chelationstudy.htm

Genetics

    * Genetics Home Reference: Williams syndromeFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=williamssyndrome

Research

    * Abdominal Fat Distribution Predicts Heart Disease(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3052325
    * Air Pollution and Cardiovacular DiseaseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/impacts/cardiovascular.cfm
    * Children with ADHD Should Get Heart Tests Before Treatment with Stimulant Drugs(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=398
    * Developmental Changes in Adolescence Raise Men's Heart Disease Risk(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=400
    * Family Cardiac Caregivers May Have Higher Heart Disease Risk(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=362
    * Fatty Liver Disease May Raise Heart Disease Risk in Overweight, Obese Kids(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=452
    * Heart DiseaseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF - http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/heartdisease.pdf
    * Inflammation May Explain Why Poor, Uneducated Suffer More CVD(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3051948
    * Lack of Vitamin D May Increase Heart Disease Risk(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3052800
    * NewLink Between Heart Disease, Sleep Apnea Should Be Probed(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=476
    * New Survey Shows African-Americans Are Concerned with Heart Health but Unaware of Link to Brain Health(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3053663
    * Statement Addresses Risks of High Blood Sugar in Heart Patients(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=343

Dictionaries/Glossaries

    * Cardiac Glossary(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3038158
    * Deciphering Heart Disease Medspeak(Medical Library Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.mlanet.org/pdf/heart-disease1.pdf

Directories

    * Find an Interventional Radiologist(Society of Interventional Radiology) - http://members.sirweb.org/eseries/scriptcontent/index_members_search.cfm?section=customer

Organizations

    * American Heart Association - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000
    * National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/
    * National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteFrom the National Institutes of Health - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

Statistics

    * FASTATS: Heart Disease(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/heart.htm
    * Heart Disease and Stroke Maps(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/giscvh2/
    * Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics -- 2008 Update(American Heart Association) - Large PDF file - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1200082005246HS_Stats%202008.final.pdf

Children

    * Cardiovascular Disorders(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) - http://www.chop.edu/consumer/your_child/condition_section_index.jsp?id=-9282
    * Children's Health(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1477
    * Children's Vascular Health Activity Book(Society for Vascular Surgery) - http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/childrensactivitybook/index.html
    * Heart Disease(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/heart_disease.html
      Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/adultos/heart_disease_esp.html

Men

    * Men and Heart Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/library/fs_men_heart.htm

Women

    * MedlinePlus: Heart Disease in WomenFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseaseinwomen.html
      Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/heartdiseaseinwomen.html

Seniors

    * Aging Hearts & ArteriesFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Aging) - Large PDF file - http://www.niapublications.org/pubs/hearts/Aging_Hearts_And_Arteries.pdf

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

    * Angina - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/angina.html
    * Arrhythmia - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/arrhythmia.html
    * Cardiac Arrest - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cardiacarrest.html
    * Cardiomyopathy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cardiomyopathy.html
    * Coronary Artery Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/coronaryarterydisease.html
    * Endocarditis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocarditis.html
    * Heart Attack - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartattack.html
    * Heart Diseases--Prevention - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseasesprevention.html
    * Heart Failure - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartfailure.html
    * Heart Surgery - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartsurgery.html
    * Heart Valve Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartvalvediseases.html
    * Blood, Heart and Circulation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bloodheartandcirculation.html
    * Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html
    * Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Heart Diseases is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

Heart Diseases - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/heartdiseases.html

Date last updated: August 06 2008
Topic last reviewed: July 15 2008