Coronary artery disease is a narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels leading to the heart muscle. Narrow vessels restrict the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart, which can lead to a heart attack and initiate major changes in the...
Healthy coronary arteries are flexible, strong and elastic. But, with exposure to certain risk factors and time they become less flexible and acquire plaque deposits. This can lead to atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease. Avoid the risk...
Health care providers recommend improving diet and increasing exercise as the first defense against high cholesterol levels. Drug therapy might be required if lifestyle change is not effective. Vitamin B3, or niacin, is a water-soluble vitamin...
Plaque is a fatty substance with a tendency to build up on the interior walls of the arteries. When plaque builds up on the coronary arteries that supply nutrient and oxygen-rich blood to the heart, your risk for a heart attack goes up. This...
Angina is chest pain due to decreased oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. An individual with angina may experience a pain similar to a heart attack including a feeling of pressure on the chest as well as the arm, neck or jaw pain. The condition...
Coronary artery disease is a condition in which the arteries supplying the heart muscle cells are hardened with plaque. As plaque continues to accumulate on the artery walls, it narrows the hole or lumen from which blood flows through. This...
Blocked or clogged arteries typically occur when a substance called plaque builds up on your artery walls and significantly reduces your normal blood flow. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for plaque buildup. However, a number of other...
Heart rate is controlled from within a person's body and by external factors. There may be a defect in a person's heart valves, in the heart's electrical system and even a problem with the brain's signal to the heart. Such factors are beyond a...
A high level of the homocysteine amino acid has been associated with heart disease and atherosclerosis, although scientists are not yet sure exactly how a high amount of this amino acid in the bloodstream increases the risk. Various reasons for an...
Cholesterol screening is important because high cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. Many Americans have high cholesterol levels due to diet and lifestyle. Without screening, most people would never know their levels are...
Cholesterol, is the most important lipid in the body. All steroid hormones derive from cholesterol. Cholesterol is also a major component of our cell membranes. Cholesterol proves beneficial if its concentration is regulated in the blood. HDL and...
Fresh juice from foods such as vegetables and fruits contains essential nutrients vital to sustaining health. Juicing provides a quick and easy way to increase consumption of nutrients, compared with eating the raw foods. The Centers for Disease...
Dating back to the 1950s, the Mediterranean diet has been revered for its protective mechanisms against heart disease. The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by daily consumption of whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables as...
Vegetables are dietary sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help enhance your health and decrease the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, gastrointestinal disorders and loss of vision. The Centers...
The USDA recommends that you consume a balanced diet of nutrient-dense foods and avoid an unbalanced diet of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Nutrient-dense foods can improve your health and lower your risk for developing chronic diseases,...
A healthy diet includes a balance of foods from various food groups that enable you to obtain all of the essential nutrients that promote health and prevent disease. These foods include fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy, fish...
Fruits and vegetables are widely recognized as ideal foods for cleansing the body. Some cleanse diets tout the healing properties of a single food and others encourage a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, concurrently or in succession...
It is possible to exceed your maximum recommended heart rate for cardiovascular exercise -- but it's certainly not recommended. Doing so is especially risky if you have a health condition or take medication. Your best bet when determining how high...
Exercise scientists hear some variation of the above question quite often. But the answer to it is not simple. Unlike with most forms of endurance training, figuring the caloric cost of resistance training can be difficult. Despite that and the...
Many adults have high blood pressure without even knowing it. As a result, many individuals are putting themselves at risk for a number of serious heart-related conditions. If you have had an abnormal blood pressure reading, your doctor may...
Heart disease is a broad term that encompasses several conditions all related to failure or disease of the heart. The most common condition is coronary heart disease that affects the blood vessels that feed the heart muscle itself. These arteries...
A normal heart rhythm has the ability to pump blood to and from the heart without undue stress. Tachycardia is a rhythmic disorder of the heart that causes it to beat at a faster rate than normal. A resting heart rate that is between 100 and 130...
There is a long list of potentially life-threatening causes of chest pain. As a result, it can even be difficult for a physician to determine the exact origin of the chest pain. Therefore, it is essential that you seek medical care if you...
One of the major blood vessel diseases is called coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease. Arteries that surround the heart are called coronary arteries. These arteries deliver blood that is filled with fresh oxygen from your...
High cholesterol levels can increase your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack. Although there are other risk factors for high cholesterol, diet and sedentary lifestyle are two of the major contributors to increased cholesterol levels....
The coronary arteries are large blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygenated blood coming from the lungs. This blood replenishes cells of the heart muscle, which then pumps it out to oxygenate the rest of the body. Hardening, blockage,...
The cardiovascular and exercise assessment protocols of the American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, use weight-to-hip ratios to categorize your risk level for cardiovascular disease and safety at different exercise levels. Higher ratios are...
Scientific research emphasizes the importance of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to maintain optimum health and prevent certain diseases. Your body needs an adequate daily supply of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat to...
Maybe you're the type of person who only visits the doctor when you have a sore throat or stomachache. Perhaps it takes something more serious, such as a knee or back injury, for you to drive to his office. Situations such as these get your...
Coronary artery disease, or coronary heart disease, is the end result of the heart muscle losing nutrients due to blockage in blood vessels of the heart. Learn more about coronary heart disease, including warning signs and treatments in this video.
