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Heart and Circulation Disorders Learning Center

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Cardiovascular disease is a general diagnostic category consisting of several separate diseases of the heart and circulatory system. Cardiovascular diseases have been the major health problem and the leading cause of de...

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Abetalipoproteinemia
Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome is a rare, inherited disease in which a person is unable to fully absorb dietary fats through the intestines.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are swollen, twisted, painful veins that have filled with an abnormal collection of blood. See also: Varicose vein stripping; Venous insufficiency.
Arrhythmia
An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty material collects along the walls of arteries. This fatty material thickens, hardens (forms calcium deposits), and may eventually block the arteries.
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves (endocardium. See also: Culture-negative endocarditis; Infective endocarditis.
High Blood Pressure
Every encounter you have with a health care professional likely involves getting your blood pressure checked.
Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
Low blood pressure, or hypotension, occurs when blood pressure during and after each heartbeat is much lower than usual.
Pericarditis
Pericarditis is a condition in which the sac-like covering around the heart (pericardium) becomes inflamed. See also: Bacterial pericarditis
Cor Pulmonale
Cor pulmonale is failure of the right side of the heart brought on by long-term high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries and right ventricle of the heart.
Fainting
Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode is brief (lasting less than a couple of minutes) and is followed by rapid and complete recovery.
Buerger's Disease
Thromboangiitis obliterans is a rare disease in which blood vessels of the hands and feet become obstructed.
Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)
Peripheral vascular disease is a narrowing of blood vessels that restricts blood flow. It mostly occurs in the legs, but is sometimes seen in the arms.
Heart Valve Disorders
Valvular heart disease refers to several disorders and diseases of the heart valves, which are the tissue flaps that regulate the flow of blood through the four chambers of the heart.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a life-threatening condition in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body.
Heart Attack
A heart attack is when blood vessels that supply blood to the heart are blocked, preventing enough oxygen from getting to the heart. The heart muscle dies or becomes permanently damaged.
Raynaud's Phenomenon
Raynaud's phenomenon is a condition in which cold temperatures or strong emotions cause blood vessel spasms that block blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears, and nose.
Unstable Angina
Unstable angina is a condition in which your heart doesn't get enough blood flow and oxygen. It is a prelude to a heart attack.
Aortic Coarctation
Aortic coarctation is a narrowing of part of the aorta (the major artery leading out of the heart. It is a type of birth defect. Coarctation means narrowing.
Cardiac Tamponade
Cardiac tamponade is the compression of the heart that occurs when blood or fluid builds up in the space between the myocardium (the muscle of the heart) and the pericardium (the outer covering sac...
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
If you have cardiomyopathy, you have a problem with the muscle tissue that makes up your heart. Cardiomyopathy means "heart muscle disease.” Your heart may not be pumping as well as it should.
Congestive Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged, and it cannot pump blood efficiently.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thick. The thickening makes it harder for blood to leave the heart, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood.
Carotid Stenosis
Carotid stenosis is the medical description of the narrowing or constriction of the carotid artery.
Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. CHD is also called coronary artery disease.
Dehydration
Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. Dehydration can be caused by losing too much fluid, not drinking enough water or fluids, or both.
Cardiogenic Shock
Cardiogenic shock is a state in which the heart has been damaged so much that it is unable to supply enough blood to the organs of the body.
Hemorrhagic Shock
Hypovolemic shock is an emergency condition in which severe blood and fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. This type of shock can cause many organs to stop working.
Septic Shock
Septic shock is a serious condition that occurs when an overwhelming infection leads to life-threatening low blood pressure.
Sick Sinus Syndrome
Sick sinus syndrome is a collection of heart rhythm disorders that include: Sinus bradycardia - slow heart rates from the natural pacemaker of the heart; Tachycardias - fast heart rates; Bradycardi...
Thrombophlebitis
Thrombophlebitis is swelling (inflammation) of a vein caused by a blood clot.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is when the large blood vessel that supplies blood to the abdomen, pelvis, and legs becomes abnormally large or balloons outward.
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle. See also: Pediatric myocarditis
Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an unexpected death due to heart problems, which occurs within one hour from the start of any cardiac-related symptoms. SCD is sometimes called cardiac arrest.
Malignant Hypertension
Malignant hypertension is a sudden and rapid development of extremely high blood pressure. The lower (diastolic) blood pressure reading, which is normally around 80 mmHg, is often above 130 mmHg.
Arteriosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty material collects along the walls of arteries. This fatty material thickens, hardens (forms calcium deposits), and may eventually block the arteries.
Venous Insufficiency
Venous insufficiency is a condition in which the veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart. See also: Deep venous thrombosis; Varicose veins; Stasis dermatitis and ulcers.
Essential Hypertension
Essential or primary hypertension, the most common form of hypertension, is elevated blood pressure that develops without apparent cause.
Orthostatic Hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension refers to a reduction of blood pressure (systolic blood pressure that occurs when the heart contracts) of at lest 20 mmHg or a diastolic pressure (pressure when the heart mu...
Arterial Embolism
Arterial embolism is a sudden interruption of blood flow to an organ or body part due to a clot (embolus.
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)
Pulmonary hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. It makes the right side of the heart need to work harder than normal.
Stable Angina
Stable angina is chest pain or discomfort that typically occurs with activity or stress. The pain usually begins slowly and gets worse over the next few minutes before going away.
Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a term that doctors use to describe patients who have congestive heart failure due to coronary artery disease.
Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare disorder in which a weakened heart is diagnosed within the final month of pregnancy or within 5 months after delivery.
Congenital Heart Defects
Congenital heart disease refers to a problem with the heart's structure and function due to abnormal heart development before birth. Congenital means present at birth.
Hypertensive Heart Disease
Hypertensive heart disease refers to coronary artery disease, heart failure, and enlargement of the heart that occur because of high blood pressure. See also: Hypertension; Malignant hypertension.
Aortic Dissection
Aortic dissection is a potentially life-threatening condition in which there is bleeding into and along the wall of the aorta, the major artery leaving the heart.
Hypovolemic Shock
Hypovolemic shock is an emergency condition in which severe blood and fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. This type of shock can cause many organs to stop working.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Deep venous thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein that is deep inside the body.
Infective Endocarditis
Infectious endocarditis is an infection of the lining of the heart chambers and heart valves that is caused by bacteria, fungi, or other infectious substances.
Angina
Angina is a type of chest discomfort caused by poor blood flow through the blood vessels (coronary vessels) of the heart muscle (myocardium.

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