Common

When to Call a Doctor About Heart Disease Symptoms When you take care of someone with heart disease, keep an eye on their symptoms and learn when it’s time to …

Symptoms of Heart Disease Coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack — each type of heart problem requires different treatment but may share similar warning signs. It is important to see your doctor so …

Arrhythmia What Is an Arrhythmia? An arrhythmia is an uneven heartbeat. It means your heart is out of its usual rhythm. It may feel like your heart skipped a beat, added a beat, or …

Heart Disease and Sudden Cardiac Death How Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Different from a Heart Attack? Sudden cardiac arrest is not a heart attack (myocardial infarction) but can occur during a heart attack. Heart …

Heart Attack What Is a Heart Attack? A heart attack happens when something blocks the blood flow to your heart so it can’t get the oxygen it needs. More than a million Americans have …

Coronary Artery Disease What Is Coronary Artery Disease? Coronary artery disease, also called CAD, coronary or atherosclerotic heart disease, is a serious condition caused by a buildup of plaque in your …

Heart Valve Disease According to the American Heart Association, about 5 million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease each year. What Is Heart Valve Disease? Heart valve disease occurs when the heart valves …

What Are Heart Murmurs The “murmur” is the sound of blood flowing. It may be passing through an abnormal heart valve, for instance. Or it may be that a condition makes your heart beat faster and …

Congenital Heart Disease Explained “Congenital heart defect” is another way of saying your heart had a problem when you were born. You may have had a small hole in it or something more severe. …

Enlarged Heart (Cardiomegaly) An enlarged heart may have several causes. including high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. It may not pump blood effectively, which can cause congestive heart failure. It may improve over time. But most people …

Heart Disease and Cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathy, or heart muscle disease, is a type of progressive heart disease in which the heart is abnormally enlarged, thickened, and/or stiffened. As a result, the heart muscle’s ability to pump blood is less …

Heart Disease and Dilated Cardiomyopathy Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a medical condition in which the heart’s ability to pump blood is lessened because its main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, is enlarged and weakened. …

Heart Disease and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy What Is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy? Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with thickening of the heart muscle, most commonly at the septum between the ventricles, below the aortic valve. This leads …

Heart Disease and Pericarditis Pericardial disease, or pericarditis, is inflammation of any of the layers of the pericardium. The pericardium is a thin tissue sac that surrounds the heart and consists of: Visceral pericardium …

Heart Disease and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy What Is Restrictive Cardiomyopathy? Restrictive cardiomyopathy is when the walls of the lower chambers of your heart (called the ventricles) are too rigid to expand as they fill …

Pericardial Effusion What to Know: Pericardial Effusion A pericardial effusion is excess fluid between the heart and the sac surrounding the heart, known as the pericardium. Most are not harmful, but they sometimes can make …

Marfan Syndrome What Is Marfan Syndrome? Marfan syndrome is an inherited disease that affects your body’s connective tissue, which gives strength, support, and elasticity to tendons, cartilage, heart valves, blood vessels, and other vital parts …