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What is Heart disease?
There are several alternative medicines that may be effective in lowering cholesterol and preventing some types of heart disease, including: Blond psyllium; Coenzyme Q-10; Flaxseed; Oats and oat bran; Omega-3 fatty acids; Plant stanols and sterols, such as beta-sitosterol and sitostanol
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Also known as cardiovascular disease, Heart Diseases, Cardiac Disease, cardiovascular disorders, Cardiac Diseases
Heart disease information from trusted sources:
Heart disease Information on Healthline
Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart's ability to function normally. Various forms of heart disease include: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy; ... Read more on
www.healthline.com
Heart disease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
Heart and Vascular Care: Treatment News and Information
Cleveland Clinic provides heart and vascular disease care and treatment including cardiovascular tests and treatments. Learn more with our heart and ... Read more on
my.clevelandclinic.org
Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) Causes, Symptoms ...
Nov 29, 2010 ... Learn about heart disease causes like smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Symptoms of heart disease include chest pain and ... Read more on
www.medicinenet.com
Conditions
High cholesterol can put you at risk for heart disease or stroke. But you can improve your cholesterol numbers with a sound treatment plan. ... Read more on
www.heart.org
Cardiac Diseases
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. Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
The Heart Disease and Cardiology Home Page
The starting place for exploring information on heart disease and cardiology. Read more on
heartdisease.about.com
Heart Disease
Feb 2, 2009 ... Heart Disease. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on ..... For more information on heart disease, call womenshealth.gov at ... Read more on
www.womenshealth.gov
Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease, ... A major cause of death and disability, coronary heart disease claims more lives in ... Read more on
www.emedicinehealth.com
Heart disease prevention: 5 strategies keep your heart healthy ...
Heart disease may be the leading cause of death for both men and women, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the ... Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Contents
Causes
To understand heart disease, it helps to know how the heart works. Your heart is a pump. It's a muscular organ about the size of your fist and located slightly left of center in your chest. Your heart is divided into the right and the left side. The division protects oxygen-rich blood from mixing with oxygen-poor blood. Oxygen-poor blood, "blue blood," returns to the heart after circulating through your body.
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Complications
One of the most common complications of heart disease is heart failure.
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Coping and support
You may feel frustrated, upset or overwhelmed upon learning you or your loved one has heart disease. Fortunately, there are ways to help cope with heart disease or improve your condition. These include: Cardiac rehabilitation. For people who have cardiovascular disease that's caused a heart attack or has required surgery to correct, cardiac rehabilitation is often recommended as a way to improve treatment and speed recovery. Cardiac rehabilitation is a program often divided into phases that involve various levels of monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support, and support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce your risks of heart problems. Support groups. Finding...
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www.mayoclinic.com
Lifestyle and home remedies
Heart disease can be improved or even prevented by making certain lifestyle changes. The following changes can help anyone who wants to improve their heart health: Stop smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, especially atherosclerosis. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and forces your heart to work harder, and carbon monoxide reduces oxygen in your blood and damages the lining of your blood vessels. If you smoke, quitting is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease and its complications. Control your blood pressure. Ask your doctor for a blood pressure measurement at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent measurements if your blood pressure...
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Preparing for your appointment
Some types of heart disease will be discovered without an appointment for example, if a child is born with serious heart defect, it will be detected soon after birth. In other cases, your heart disease may be diagnosed in an emergency situation, such as a heart attack.
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Prevention
Certain types of heart disease, such as heart defects, can't be prevented. However, you can help prevent many other types of heart disease by making the same lifestyle changes that can improve your heart disease, such as by: Not smoking; Controlling conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes; Staying physically active; Eating healthy foods; Maintaining a healthy weight; Reducing and managing stress; Practicing good hygiene
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www.mayoclinic.com
Risk factors
Heart disease risk factors include: Your age. Simply getting older increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and weakened or thickened heart muscle, which contribute to heart disease. Your sex. Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. However, the risk for a woman increases after menopause. Family history. A family history of heart disease increases your risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a parent developed it at an early age (before age 55 for a male relative such as your brother or father and 65 for a female relative such as your mother or sister). Smoking. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making...
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www.mayoclinic.com
Symptoms
Heart disease symptoms vary, depending on what type of heart disease you have.
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Tests and diagnosis
The tests you'll need to diagnose your heart disease depend on what condition your doctor thinks you might have. No matter what type of heart disease you have, your doctor will likely perform a physical exam and ask about your personal and family medical history before doing any other tests. Tests to diagnose heart disease can include: Blood tests. You may need to have your blood drawn and tested for substances in your blood that could indicate you have heart disease. Your doctor may check the levels of your cholesterol and triglycerides, blood cell counts, or other blood tests that might show there's damage to your heart. Chest X-ray. An image is created by directing X-rays at your chest...
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www.mayoclinic.com
Treatments and drugs
Heart disease treatments vary. You may need lifestyle changes, medications, surgery or other medical procedures as part of your treatment.
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www.mayoclinic.com