- How the Heart Works - How Blood Flows through the Heart - NHLBI, NIH
Oxygen-poor blood from the body enters your heart through two large veins called the superior and inferior vena cava The blood enters the heart's right atrium and is pumped to your right ventricle, which in turn pumps the blood to your lungs
- What Is Coronary Heart Disease? - NHLBI, NIH
Coronary heart disease is a type of heart disease that occurs when the arteries of the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen -rich blood to the heart muscle due to narrowing from the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque It is also sometimes called coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease
- Heart Tests - NHLBI, NIH
Heart imaging tests take pictures of your heart or its arteries or blood vessels to help your doctor see whether there are any problems Cardiac CT scan A cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan, also called a "CAT scan,” is a painless, non-invasive imaging test that uses X-rays to take many detailed pictures of your heart and its blood vessels
- What Is a Heart Attack? - NHLBI, NIH
A heart attack is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires immediate treatment Learn about prevention, symptoms, causes, and treatments for heart attacks
- Atherosclerosis - What Is Atherosclerosis? | NHLBI, NIH
Atherosclerosis is a common condition that leads to heart disease and other health problems It’s caused by the buildup of sticky cholesterol plaque in the arteries, but it’s preventable and treatable
- Smoking and Your Heart - Smoking Risks | NHLBI, NIH
These arteries supply your heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood, which it needs to keep working properly The buildup of plaque also makes it more likely that blood clots form in your arteries Blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow In short, smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease
- Heart Attack - Causes and Risk Factors | NHLBI, NIH
What causes a heart attack? The most common cause of a heart attack is coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease This is when your coronary arteries cannot carry enough oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle
- Stents - What Are Stents? | NHLBI, NIH
Stents are often used to treat narrowing in the coronary arteries, which provide the heart with oxygen-rich blood Stents can also help to treat an aneurysm, which is a bulge in the wall of an artery, as well as narrowed airways in the lungs
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