Your coronary arteries are the main ones that supply your heart muscle with blood and oxygen. If these arteries become damaged or blocked your heart may be starved for blood and oxygen and a heart attack can occur. Blood flow can also be hindered...
A heart attack is caused by lack of blood flow to the heart. Blood flow becomes limited when there is a buildup of plaque (fatty deposits/atherosclerosis) in the coronary arteries. The process starts in our teens and progresses with age. Over...
Angina is a medical condition characterized by pain, pressure or tightness within the chest. This chest pain occurs when the flow of blood to your heart muscle is interrupted in some way. The symptoms of angina can be caused by a number of...
There are numerous consequences or complications associated with heart disease. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health or NIH, heart disease is the leading cause of death among American men and...
The American Heart Association recommends all adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. People experiencing numbness and shortness of breath during exercise may simply be out of shape. It may also be a sign of a more serious ailment...
Norvasc (amlodipine besylate) is used to treat hypertension, chronic stable angina in coronary artery disease, or angina caused by coronary artery spasm (Prinzmetal's angina). Norvasc is classed as a calcium channel blocker.
According to Medline Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, angina is a type of chest pain caused by poor blood flow through the blood vessels of the heart muscle. The heart muscle constantly needs oxygen-rich blood to perform its...
Angina is defined as chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. Pain or discomfort in the chest typically begins behind the breastbone. Angina is typically categorized in two forms: stable angina and unstable angina....
The World Health Organization reports that more people die from cardiovascular diseases than any other cause with about 17 million deaths in 2004. The projected total of deaths worldwide by 2030 is more than 23 million. Diseases and afflictions of...
The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. The heart is composed of muscle that is constantly working and needs a relatively high amount of oxygen in the blood in order to function correctly. Without it, the heart...
Chest pressure frequently is associated with heart diseases and abnormalities. While heart conditions are a common cause of chest pressure, problems with other organs, such as the lungs, can cause pressure and fullness in the chest as well. Many...
Angina is a sign of heart disease. The heart is not getting enough blood flow, resulting in chest pain. There are three types of angina. Stable angina involves a recurrent chest pain usually during physical exertion. Unstable angina appears...
Phenobarbital is a barbiturate sold by prescription. It is a controlled substance administered by injection or by oral tablet, capsule or elixir. Phenobarbital is indicated for long-term epilepsy, acute seizure, anxiety and short-term insomnia. It...
Diseases and disorders of the heart affect all ages from congenital heart disease at birth to congestive heart failure in the elderly. Statistics from the American Heart Association reported by New York-Presbyterian Hospital in 2008 state that...
Pseudoephedrine is a stimulant found in over-the-counter and prescription decongestants. It is sold primarily as a cold and sinus medication due to its ability to relieve nasal congestion and sinus pressure. Like other stimulants, pseudoephedrine...
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the term angina refers to the chest pain that is symptomatic of coronary artery disease. The main characteristic of coronary artery disease is the accumulation of fatty deposits...
A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, occurs when blood supply is cut off to the heart muscle. This can be caused by a blood clot in an artery, an arterial spasm, trauma or other events. Heart attacks are uncommon in young men, but...
Angina, or angina pectoris, is the term used to describe symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD), which include pressure, squeezing, tightness, or pain in the chest, and pain in the arms, neck and jaw. According to the National Heart Lung and...
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is not able to push blood forward from either the right side of the heart to the lungs, or from the left side of the heart to the systemic circulation and brain. Heart failure can cause blood...
Angina, also called angina pectoris, is a term used to describe chest pain. Along with chest pain, individuals may also feel a sensation of pressure or tightness in the chest. The angina pain may be felt in the jaw, arm, neck, back or shoulder as...
Coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death in developed countries, according to the online Merck Manual Home Edition for Patients and Caregivers. Also called CHD or CAD, the disease most commonly...
Coronary artery disease is caused by the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries, which are the arteries that provide oxygenated blood to the musculature of the heart. These plaques are mostly made up of cholesterol and...
Coronary vasospasm, also known as variant angina or Prinzmetal's angina, is a condition characterized by inappropriate constriction of the heart's arteries. Myron Prinzmetal first described the condition in 1959. Patients with this condition...
When the arteries become blocked from blood clots or plaque, the outcome can be deadly. A potentially more serious problem than the narrowing of a coronary artery from plaque or a blood clot is the tendency of plaque to rupture and promote the...
Calcium channel blockers belong to a class of medications that are used to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions. These drugs, also known as calcium antagonists, prevent calcium from infiltrating the cells of the heart and blood vessel...
Muscle spasms can occur randomly and without warning, and may be few and far between. They may also happen on a more consistent basis, which is a sign of something more serious happening in your body. If muscle spasms are happening near or in your...
Valerian, a hardy perennial herb native to Europe and Asia, produces pleasantly scented pink and white flowers. Its root is a valuable medicinal herb in the Western herbal tradition. Popular for its sedative and pain-relieving effects, recent...
Around 20 percent of the adult population in the United States smokes, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. For those who want to quit, over-the-counter nicotine patches can help quell the intense cravings from nicotine...
Viagra is the brand name for the drug sildenafil citrate. It is prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, or ED, a form of male impotence that occurs with aging. The drug works by dilating blood vessels in the penis so that blood can...
