The heart pumps blood filled with oxygen and nutrients around the body. This supply is important for the functioning of other body organs. When the heart is unable to meet this purpose, it is known as heart failure. Several conditions can increase...
Mayo Clinic states that heart disease is a broad term that refers to a variety of diseases that can affect the heart and blood vessels. It is the number-one killer of men and women in the United States and around the world. Heart disease can occur...
Cardiac ischemia, also referred to as myocardial ischemia, occurs when the oxygen supply in your heart is reduced due to a partial or complete blockage of an artery that pumps blood to your heart. This causes your heart to become weak and damaged...
According to Kahan, Miller and Smith in "In a Page Signs & Symptoms," hypocalcemia is common within hospitals due to hemodialysis, or the intravenous manual removal of wastes from the blood. This reduces plasma calcium levels, resulting in...
A weak heart is commonly associated with a condition known as heart failure. MedlinePlus states that a weak heart causes blood and fluid to back up into your lungs and fluid to accumulate in your feet, ankles and legs. You also may feel fatigue...
Difficulty breathing, or dyspnea, is distressing and has many possible causes. Diseases of the lung, such as asthma, respiratory infections, cancer and pneumonia, are not the only cause. Disorders of other body systems, such as heart disease,...
Noni fruit is a yellowish fruit harvested from the noni or Morinda citrifolia plant. Extracts from this fruit may be beneficial in the treatment of a number of medical conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure and...
Your body needs vitamins and minerals for normal growth and development. Zinc is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and proteins and the normal functioning of the immune system. It is also required for wound healing, fertility and...
Congestive heart failure, or CHF, affects 5 million Americans and is responsible for 300,000 deaths a year. The condition occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood efficiently through the body. Causes of the condition include damage to the...
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, causes weak arteries that make it harder for the heart to pump blood. This can increase the risk for heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure is often referred to as the silent killer, because...
It is not unusual to experience heart palpitations after a heavy workout and one of the main causes is a spike in your adrenaline levels, says Dr. Michael G. Kienzle on the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics website. On its own this...
Chronic heart disease, the number one killer in the United States, is responsible for more than 40 percent of all deaths, according to the Mayo Clinic. Chronic heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, describes a wide array of diseases that...
Calcium channel blockers are typically prescribed to treat high blood pressure, chest pain and irregular heart rhythm. They may be used to treat cardiomyopathy, which is a disease that causes the heart muscles to become weak and inflamed. Common...
Vitamin D is fat-soluble and exists in naturally as vitamin D3. In the skin, it is made under direct sunlight. Vitamin D is also absorbed from food sources that contain vitamin D such as fish, eggs and cod liver oil. Vitamin D is inactive; it has...
Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin under direct sunlight; it occurs naturally as vitamin D3. Vitamin D is chiefly absorbed from food sources that contain vitamin D such as eggs, fish and cod liver oil. Initially, vitamin D is inactive and has to...
Calcium is the major component of bone that provides strength. Calcium is absorbed in the small intestines; its absorption is facilitated by vitamin D. Calcium is maintained in the blood by the parathyroid gland, thyroid gland and vitamin D. The...
Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, that occurs when the heart's two upper chambers--the left and right atria--beat erratically and out of sync with its two lower chambers--the left and right ventricle. The...
Aloe vera products, including the juice, are available from health food retailers and even your neighborhood grocery store. This plant has a long history of use in traditional medicine. You can find aloe vera in products that range from skin and...
Potassium is an essential nutrient for life. Potassium helps control functions of the nervous system and plays a role in transporting nutrients into cells and waste out of cells. In addition, normal levels of potassium are essential for proper...
Having unimpeded blood flow is critical for optimum health. The blood carries essential nutrients, fuel and oxygen to all of the cells in your body. It also transports wastes and toxins to the appropriate systems to be excreted after processing....
Potassium is an important mineral that aids in transporting electricity for skeletal and muscle movement. Ensure that you get the potassium you need by filling your diet with potassium-rich foods; your daily multivitamin may contain potassium, but...
The thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped gland found in the neck, produces and secretes hormones that regulate metabolism, the chemical processes necessary to maintain life. One hormone, calcitonin, regulates the amount of calcium in the blood. Many...
Congestive heart failure, caused by weakness or damage to the heart, occurs when the heart doesn't pump hard enough to push enough blood through the body. Blood backs up into the liver, lungs, abdomen and lower extremities. Lifestyle modification,...
Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, is defined as blood pressure less than 90/60 mmHg. One serious consequence of low blood pressure includes lack of adequate blood flow to the brain, which may lead to episodes of dizziness or fainting....
A resting heart rate is your pulse in as little as five minutes after exercise, when you have been sitting quietly. As your fitness level increases, your resting heart rate is slower. If your heart rate is normally slow and recovers quickly after...
Hyperkalemia refers to high potassium levels in the blood. Potassium is an electrolyte, or charged mineral. It is important for the normal functioning of cells, particularly in cells that more actively use electrical currents, such as those of the...
The heart is composed of four chambers that function to pump blood through the body. The heart walls are made of muscles. Electrical impulses cause the muscles to contract, providing the pumping action. Some conditions, such as myocarditis, can...
The heart is an organ that pumps blood to all parts of the body. Oxygen and other nutrients are delivered to all the organs in the body through blood that the heart pumps out. In congestive heart failure, the heart is unable to pump enough blood...
Heart failure describes a condition in which the heart becomes unable to pump blood efficiently to meet the body's needs. Causes of heart failure vary but include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, a previous heart attack, diabetes,...