Swelling (inflammation) is your body’s natural reaction to an injury. Inflammation can happen anywhere—on the skin, within the body, and even inside the arteries. In fact, scientists are now learning that inflammation may play a part in many of the diseases that come with aging, including coronary artery disease. What is vulnerable plaque? For many […]
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles) A septal defect is a hole in the septum, which is the muscle wall that separates the heart’s left and right chambers. A septal defect is sometimes called “a hole in […]
Nearly 6 million Americans have a blood clot in their veins (also called venous thrombus, venous thrombosis, or vein thrombosis). When the clot develops in a vein deep within the leg, it is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The condition can be life threatening if the clot breaks loose from the vein and travels to […]
Varicose veins are swollen, purple veins in the legs that are visible under your skin. They are caused by damage to blood vessels close to the surface of your skin, slowed blood flow, or the damage or absence of normal valves in your veins. Normally, blood flow in the veins is aided by valves, which […]
Not much can be done to prevent valve disease, but it is still important to live a heart-healthy lifestyle and control as many risk factors as you can. Every time your heart beats, blood flows into, through, and out of your heart. In fact, your heart moves about 100 gallons (379 liters) of blood through […]
There are 2 kinds of ischemic stroke: thrombotic stroke and embolic stroke Ischemic Stroke (caused by a blockage) There are 2 kinds of ischemic stroke: thrombotic stroke and embolic stroke. Together, the two types of ischemic stroke account for about 87% of all strokes. Thrombotic stroke, the most common type, happens when a blood clot (called […]
The heart’s lower-right chamber (the right ventricle) and lower-left chamber (the left ventricle) are divided by a wall called the septum. The septum ensures that blood does not mix between the right and left ventricles. One feature of truncus arteriosus is a large hole in the septum between the two ventricles (called a ventricular septal […]
The word “atresia” means “no opening.” In tricuspid atresia, the valve is missing between the upper-right chamber (the right atrium) and the lower-right chamber (the right ventricle). Normally, the tricuspid valve allows blood to pass from the right atrium to the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps blood into the lungs to pick up […]
The “great arteries” are the pulmonary artery and the aorta The “great arteries” are the pulmonary artery and the aorta. Normally, the pulmonary artery is connected to the heart’s lower-right chamber (the right ventricle). The right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood into the pulmonary artery, which carries that blood into the lungs. The lower-left chamber (the left ventricle) […]
Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection is a rare condition in which the pulmonary veins are connected to the heart’s upper-right chamber (the right atrium) instead of its upper-left chamber (the left atrium) Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection is a rare condition in which the pulmonary veins are connected to the heart’s upper-right chamber (the right […]