What is a myocardial perfusion scan? A mycocardial perfusion scan is an imaging study that shows how well blood flows through the heart muscle. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of cardiac imaging with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is between 44 percent and 70 percent depending on the blood vessels involved. In the United States,...
According to the American Heart Association, about 5 million Americans are diagnosed with valvular heart disease each year. What Is Valvular Heart Disease? Heart valve disease occurs when your heart's valves do not work the way they should. How Do Heart Valves Work? Your heart valves lie at the exit of each of your four...
Facts you should know about heart health and heart attack prevention Share Your Story Coronary atherosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. Coronary atherosclerosis is the major cause of a heart attack (myocardial infarction). Heart attacks are the major cause of sudden unexpected death among otherwise healthy adults...
Facts you should know about heart attacks and heartburn Share Your Story This comparison of differences between heartburn and heart attack are not 100% specific, and only serve to help you differentiate the two conditions to some extent. If there is any confusion or doubt about if you or someone you are with is having...
What is a Heart Attack? Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story A heart attack is a layperson’s term for a sudden blockage of a coronary artery. This blockage, which doctors call a coronary artery occlusion, may be fatal, but most patients survive it. Death can occur when the occlusion leads to an abnormal heartbeat (severe...
Heart (cardiovascular) disease definition and facts Coronary artery disease is the main cause of heart attacks. Heart disease refers to various types of conditions that can affect heart function. These types include: Coronary artery (atherosclerotic) heart disease that affects the arteries to the heart Valvular heart disease that affects how the valves function to regulate...
Heart murmur definition and facts A heart murmur, or whooshing sound that accompanies the heartbeat, may be part of healthy heart sounds for some people. Other times, it is a sign of serious problems, like heart valve hardening or holes in the heart walls. Heart murmurs are abnormal sounds within the heart due to turbulent...
One woman’s heart attack story Heart Attacks in Women Kill In 1991, I went to the ER with chest pains twice in one week. They said it was ulcers (bleeding in the stomach). Then the pain became very intense. Again, the ER said there was nothing they could do. I refused to leave and was...
A heart transplant involves surgically replacing a diseased heart with a healthy heart from a donor. A heart transplant is a surgery in which a diseased heart is replaced with a healthy heart from a donor. Believe it or not, heart transplantation is a relatively simple operation for a cardiac surgeon. There are three different types...
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack can include chest pain, nausea and arm pain.Source: iStock What should I know about heart attacks? Readers Comments 17 Share Your Story Heart Attack illustration – Myocardial Infarction What is a heart attack? A heart attack is the death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood...