According to the American Heart Association, it isn't uncommon for people with diabetes to experience abnormalities in their levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Diabetes tends to increase low-density lipoproteins, while lowering high-density...
Atherosclerosis, more commonly known as hardening of the arteries, is a condition in which plaque builds up in the walls of your arteries. Plaque deposits narrow the arteries, which can eventually become blocked and restrict blood flow. In some...
According to the Mayo Clinic, triglycerides are a type of fat in your bloodstream. Their numbers are directly correlated to the amount of calories you eat in a given day. Calories not expended by the body are converted into triglycerides and then...
Hypertension is the result of the pressure in the arteries being higher than normal. The walls of the arteries are strong and pliable in order to handle the pressure generated when the heart beats. High blood pressure, however, can stretch the...
Narrow arteries can be caused by plaque build-up, high-blood pressure or hardening of the arteries, for example. Diminished lung capacity can result from asthma, tissue loss associated with aging, lung infections or lung disease. Treatments may...
"Smoking cessation represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives." This is a quote from the U.S. Surgeon General when referring to the benefits of quitting smoking. The reasons for...
Low-density lipoprotein, also known as "bad" cholesterol, can quickly build up on the walls of arteries leading to your heart, brain and extremities. Although LDL is a necessary component for a healthy body, excess LDL can lead to heart attack,...
Arteriosclerosis is commonly referred to as hardening of the arteries. Healthy, flexible and elastic arteries can progressively become stiff and narrow. The arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart to all parts of the body. The deposit of...
Smoking is one lifestyle habit that can cause serious and long-lasting health problems. Among those are cardiovascular and lung disease, and cancer. In order to reduce your risk or prevent these conditions from developing, you should try to quit...
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...
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is made in the body and is found in all cells of the body. Cholesterol can also be obtained from the diet. Cholesterol is used in the body to make hormones, vitamin D and substances to aid in...
According to the statistics published by the American Heart Association in August 2010, eight million Americans have peripheral artery disease. Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is the narrowing of the peripheral arteries, usually in the arteries...
A stent is a small mesh tube that is placed in a blocked or narrowed artery to prevent it from closing. As an artery narrows, the point of constriction affects the transport of blood, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke....
To a certain degree, fish oil can help circulation, but not directly. Fish oil — as well as other supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids — can manage both the level of triglycerides in the bloodstream and the development of plaque...
Erectile dysfunction, sometimes called impotence, is the term for impaired sexual function in a man. Occasional inability to perform is normal and not a problem, but if a man consistently has difficulty getting an erection and sustaining that...
If your doctor recommends getting a pacemaker, then it is definitely time to quit smoking. While smoking is hazardous to anyone's health, if you have a pacemaker this habit is especially dangerous. Heart disease that has advanced to the point of...
High cholesterol or hyperlipidemia can cause fatty deposits in the blood vessels that may eventually stiffen and narrow the arteries, hindering the flow of blood. This can lead to high blood pressure or hypertension as well as heart disease or...
Tingling is an abnormal sensation that can occur anywhere in the body, but most commonly occurs in limbs and extremities---specifically hands, fingers, legs and feet---according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Hand tingling most...
Cholesterol is a type of lipid created by the liver and also found naturally in foods from animal sources. Your body needs some cholesterol for normal functioning, such as producing many hormones, vitamin D and the bile acids that help to digest...
Prinzmetal's angina is a syndrome that consists of chest pain while at rest rather than during exertion. The condition is also known as variant angina or angina inversa. It is caused when muscles in the coronary vessels spasm or contract to...
Heart disease is a broad term that describes several conditions that can affect the heart and blood vessels. According to womenshealth.gov, the most common form is coronary artery disease, a condition characterized by narrowing of the arteries and...
Blood pressure medication is used to control high and low fluctuation in blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, occurs when the heart has to work harder than normal to pump blood throughout the body, resulting in...
Exercise plays an important role in your overall health and longevity. With that in mind, most leading health authorities will advise you to aim to include at least 150 minutes of exercise into your life each week. However, knee cramps can quickly...
Your diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in your arteries when your heart is at rest. It is the lower of the two numbers on your blood pressure measurement (the higher one, known as your systolic pressure, is the pressure in your arteries...
Hardening of the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, occurs from a buildup of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and platelets on the inner walls of the arteries. The buildup of substances restricts blood flow to...
Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol are two different health concerns that increase risk of cardiovascular disease, among other things. While the processes that lead to type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol are different, each has negative...
Blood contains a variety of substances that circulate throughout the body, but never dissolve in the blood. One of these substances is calcium. Others include fat and cholesterol. When your blood contains excess calcium, fat and cholesterol, these...
Hydrochlorothiazide is used to treat hypertension, or high blood pressure. According to Mayo Clinic, blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood the heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in the arteries. Thus, the more...
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, according to the book "Contemporary Nutrition," which means that the vitamin is stored in the fat cells. The book "Foundations and Clinical Applications of Nutrition" recommends that men and women who are not...