Potassium is an essential mineral that plays a role in muscle contractions. The different types of contractions range from voluntary, such as with skeletal muscles, to involuntary, such as with cardiac muscles in the heart. Potassium helps conduct...
Infective endocarditis is a serious condition caused by an infection on a valve of the heart. The cause of the infection is presumed to be related to systemic seeding of the blood by bacteria that usually are present in the body on the teeth,...
Congestive heart failure (CHF) happens when the heart is structurally damaged and not strong enough to pump blood to the tissues of the body. Caused by coronary artery disease, high blood pressure or cardiomyopathy, fluid accumulates and backs...
A recent study published in the European Heart Journal (Lokkegaard, et al EHJ, Sept. 30, 2008) brings to light new information regarding hormone replacement therapy and risk of myocardial infarction. Previously, studies have shown that HRT is...
Ventricular septal defects are the most common congenital heart defects found in children. The defect is a simple communication in the muscle between the two lower chambers of the heart. A report published in 2002 by Hoffman and Kaplan in the...
In order to provide optimal care for heart failure patients, it is essential for cardiologists to stratify the severity of an individual's disease state. Grouping heart failure into stages serves as a guide to the effectiveness of treatment by...
A very common cause of a poor night's sleep is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is characterized by a disordered breathing pattern during sleep that results in a temporary cessation of respiration and repeated cycles of partial awakening....
As the world's population continues to age, researchers turn their attention from treatment of acute diseases to the prevention of chronic illnesses and the chronic complications caused by those diseases. In the United States, diabetes is the...
Fainting, known as syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness from lack of blood flow to the brain that results in a person falling or collapsing. According to the American Heart Association, cardiac, non-cardiac and idiopathic (unknown) causes can...
Pacemakers are inserted to help regulate the heart’s electrical system. If the heart rate is too slow patients can experience dizziness, trouble breathing and can even black out; in extreme cases, their heart can stop. A pacemaker...
The blood flow into the kidney is carried from the aorta to the renal artery. As atherosclerotic plaque builds up in the aorta it will extend into the renal artery and slowly decrease the diameter of the artery at its origin. As this process...
Aortic stenosis (AS) is a very common heart valve disorder. The condition is present in almost 5 percent of adults over the age of 75. AS is the narrowing of the valve leading out of the heart. The most common reason is calcification of the valve...
The Columbia University Medical Center describes the heart as a muscle about the size of a fist. It is located in the chest behind the sternum and the ribs, which protect the heart. This muscle is actually a pump with hollow chambers and squeezes...
Congestive heart failure is a serious physical condition, but it can be managed and lived with for quite some time. The American Heart Association defines CHF as occurring when the heart no longer has the ability to pump an adequate amount of...
Heart palpitations or irregular heart rhythms can occur for many reasons. In some cases they can be a sign of an underlying medical condition, while in other cases they can be an occasional occurrence caused by diet, stress or illness. If you have...
As of 2010, heart disease has been the number one cause of death in America for nearly a century. In fact, the American Heart Association reports that one heart disease-related death occurs every 38 seconds. Heart disease refers to any disorder...
About 2.5 million children and 1.5 million adults take stimulant medications to treat symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity common in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. In its safety report, the U.S. Food and Drug...
Heart failure is a clinical condition characterized by an impaired cardiac pump function. Patients at high risk of developing heart failure are those with hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus. Heart failure is quite...
There are numerous causes of an irregular heart rate, or arrhythmia. According to MedlinePlus, an arrhythmia is any disorder that involves heart rate or rhythm, and may involve a heart rate that's too fast or too slow, or a heart rate that has an...
Normal weight gain during childhood is one important indicator of health. Often called failure to thrive, slow weight gain and development affects approximately five out of every 100 infants and toddlers in the United States, according to the...
Dexedrine, the brand name for dextroamphetamine sulfate, is a drug used to treat narcolepsy, obesity and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. Exactly how Dexedrine works on the central nervous system has not been clearly established;...
Some children are born with heart problems, known as congenital heart disease. They occur as a result of malformation of the heart during development in the womb. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics reports that the most common types of...
Heart failure is the diagnosis given when your heart is not pumping as effectively as it should be. It occurs when your heart is unable to keep up with the body's demands for blood and oxygen. While heart failure is not curable, medications,...
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the name given to physical abnormalities that occur during the development of the heart before birth. It also includes the malfunctions caused by the structural damage. CHD is the most common birth defect in...
Almost one in every 100 babies born in the United States has some form of congenital heart disease, according to KidsHealth website. Viruses, chest injuries, the progression of muscular dystrophy and certain medications also can damage a toddler's...
Ritalin is the brand name for methylphenidate, a stimulant used to treat Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, in children and adults. ADHD is a psychiatric disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity....
Congenital heart disease refers to any structural abnormalities of the heart that are due to inherited defects, including valve defects, patent foramen ovale (PFO) and Tetralogy of Fallot. Some congenital heart diseases have little or no...
Cardiac failure is a chronic condition wherein a structural abnormality or disease limits the heart's capacity to pump an adequate amount of blood through the body. Medications augment heart function in people with cardiac failure, also known as...
Most people think of cholesterol in a negative way. However, cholesterol actually plays a very important role in the functioning of the body. According to The Mayo Clinic, cholesterol is found in every cell in our body and without it our bodies...
Heart disease is a general term including many diseases that deteriorate the heart's function or structures, including coronary heart disease and cardiomyopathy. Learn more about heart disease, including warning signs and treatments in this video.
Heart failure, or congestive cardiac failure, is the failure of the heart resulting from any structural or functional disorder. Congestive heart failure is the result of many conditions or diseases; learn more about heart failure in this health...
