This is a HealthLine Online content page created by Healthwise. HealthLine Online helps you make better decisions about your health.
Top of the pageLearning Center
Heart and Circulation
Learn about your heart and blood circulation
It's not always easy to tell if you're having problems with blood vessels in your heart and your body. You can't feel plaque building up in your arteries. That's a scary thought for anyone who is concerned about high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Plaque buildup can have long-term effects on your heart and blood flow. And it doesn't just affect your heart. Plaque buildup can happen in your leg arteries too. Our topics can help you see what tests, lifestyle changes, and treatments are right for you.
To learn more, explore these topics:
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery
- Acute Coronary Syndrome
- Alan's Story: Coping With Change After a Heart Attack
- Alcohol Increases the Risk of Cold Injury
- Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
- Angina
- Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors
- Anticoagulants
- Antiplatelets
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Aortic Dissection
- Aortic Valve Regurgitation
- Aortic Valve Regurgitation: Deciding About Surgery
- Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery
- Aortic Valve Stenosis
- Aortobifemoral Bypass Surgery
- Arrhythmias and Sexual Activity
- Arturo's Story: Getting Support for Making a Change
- Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke
- Atherosclerosis
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Atrial Fibrillation and Daily Life
- Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Bedrest in Pregnancy
- Beta-Blockers
- Biventricular Pacemaker
- Blood Clots in the Leg Veins
- Blood Pressure Numbers: When to Get Help
- Blood Pressure Screening
- Blood Thinners: Signs of Abnormal Bleeding
- Bradycardia (Slow Heart Rate)
- Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiac Cachexia
- Cardiac Device Monitoring
- Cardiac Output
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Team
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Emotional Health Benefits
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Exercise
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Home Program
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Hospital Program
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Maintenance Program
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Monitoring Your Body's Response to Exercise
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Outpatient Program
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Weight and Resistance Training
- Cardiomyopathy
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Carotid Artery Stenting
- Carotid Endarterectomy
- Catheter Ablation for a Fast Heart Rate
- Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
- Central Vascular Access Device (CVAD)
- Central Vascular Access Device (CVAD): Changing the Dressing
- Central Vascular Access Device (CVAD): Flushing
- Change in Heartbeat
- Chest Problems
- Chilblains (Perniosis)
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides: Eating Fish and Fish Oil
- Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines
- Clopidogrel and Genetic Testing
- Cold Hands: Home Treatment
- Compression Stockings for Varicose Veins
- Congenital Heart Defect Types
- Congenital Heart Disease in Adults
- Congenital Heart Disease in Children
- Congenital Heart Disease: Caring for Your Child
- Conserving Your Energy
- Coronary Angioplasty
- Coronary Arteries and Heart Function
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: How It Is Done
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: How to Prepare
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Recovering in the Hospital
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Self-Care for Recovery
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: The Recovery Process
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: What to Expect After You Go Home
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Day One of Recovery
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Minimally Invasive Methods
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: When You Arrive at the Hospital
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Your Medical Team
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Coronary Artery Disease and Alcohol
- Coronary Artery Disease: Family History
- Coronary Artery Disease: Helping a Loved One
- CPR Quick Reference
- DASH Diet Sample Menu
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Depression and Anxiety When You Have Coronary Artery Disease
- Diabetes: Amputation for Foot Problems
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Diuretics and Potassium Supplements
- Driving a Car After a Stroke
- Drug-Eluting Stents
- Eclampsia (Seizures) and Pre-Eclampsia
- Electrical Cardioversion for a Fast Heart Rate
- Electrical Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation
- Electrical System of the Heart
- Endocarditis
- Endovascular Repair for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
- Exercising to Prevent a Stroke
- Fainting
- Familial Lipid Disorders
- Fast Heart Rate
- Femoral-Tibial Bypass Surgery
- Femoropopliteal Bypass Surgery
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Healthy Diet Guidelines for a Healthy Heart
- Heart Attack
- Heart Attack and Stroke in Women: Reducing Your Risk
- Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Screening
- Heart Attack: How to Prevent Another One
- Heart Block
- Heart Failure
- Heart Failure and Sexual Activity
- Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (Diastolic Heart Failure)
- Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (Systolic Heart Failure)
- Heart Failure: Checking Your Weight
- Heart Failure: Compensation by the Heart and Body
- Heart Failure: Tips for Easier Breathing
- Heart Failure: Track Your Weight, Food, and Sodium
- Heart Murmur
- Heart Rhythm Problems and Driving
- Heart Rhythm Problems: Diary of Symptoms
- Heart Rhythm Problems: Symptoms
- Heart Tests: When Do You Need Them?
- Heart Transplant
- Heart Valve Disease
- Heart-Healthy Eating
- Heart-Healthy Eating: Fish and Fish Oil
- Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
- HELLP Syndrome
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- High Blood Pressure
- High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure: Nutrition Tips
- High Blood Pressure: Over-the-Counter Medicines to Avoid
- High Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol: How a Dietitian Can Help
- High Triglycerides
- Home Blood Pressure Log
- How the Heart Works
- How to Find Sodium
- Hyperkalemia
- Hypertensive Emergency
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Types
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Risk of Sudden Death
- Hypokalemia
- Hypothermia and Cold Temperature Exposure
- Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Target Heart Rate?
- Interactive Tools
- Intermittent Claudication
- Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump
- Ischemia
- Isolated Systolic High Blood Pressure
- Izzy's Story: Living With the DASH Diet
- Joan's Story: Coping With Depression and Anxiety From Heart Failure
- Joe's Story: Changing My Lifestyle
- Kawasaki Disease
- Laser Treatment for Varicose Veins
- Leadless Pacemaker
- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH)
- Leg Amputation
- Leg Aneurysm
- Leg Problems, Non-Injury
- Leriche Syndrome
- Linda's Story: Quitting Smoking Improves Cholesterol
- Living With More Than One Health Problem
- Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
- Lyme Disease
- Manage Stress for Your Heart
- Maze Procedure
- Medicines That Can Cause Changes in Heart Rate or Rhythm
- Medicines That Increase the Chance for a Heat-Related Illness
- Mediterranean Diet
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
- Mitral Valve Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Regurgitation: Repair or Replace the Valve?
- Mitral Valve Repair Surgery
- Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery
- Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Mitral Valve Stenosis: Repair or Replacement?
- Modify Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Diet
- Monitoring During Anesthesia
- Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
- Myxoma Tumours of the Heart
- Normal Vital Signs for Adults
- Organ Transplant
- Oxygen Therapy
- Pacemaker
- Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)
- People Who Need Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis
- Pericarditis
- Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
- Peripheral Arterial Angioplasty
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Peripheral Arterial Disease and Exercise
- Peripheral Arterial Disease: Pulse and Blood Pressure Measurement
- Phlebectomy
- Physical Activity Helps Prevent a Heart Attack and Stroke
- Physiotherapy
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Post-Operative Problems
- Post-Thrombotic Syndrome
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Preeclampsia
- Pregnancy: Varicose Veins
- Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)
- Pressure Injuries
- Pressure Injuries From Scuba Diving
- Pressure Injuries: Stages
- Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis From Travel
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Quick Tips: Taking Charge of Your Angina
- Radiofrequency Ablation for Varicose Veins
- Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
- Raynaud's Phenomenon
- Renal Artery Stenosis
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Resuming Sexual Activity After a Heart Attack
- Rheumatic Fever and the Heart
- Right-Sided Heart Failure
- Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease
- Sally's Story: Avoiding Metabolic Syndrome
- Sclerotherapy
- Secondary High Blood Pressure
- Self-Care After a Stroke
- Sex and Your Heart
- Shock
- Sick Sinus Syndrome
- Smoking and Coronary Artery Disease
- Sodium Record
- Statins
- Stroke
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Stroke: Behaviour Changes
- Stroke: Bladder and Bowel Problems
- Stroke: Changes in Emotions
- Stroke: Common Problems
- Stroke: Dealing With Depression
- Stroke: Getting Dressed
- Stroke: How to Prevent Another One
- Stroke: Memory Tips
- Stroke: Perception Changes
- Stroke: Preventing Injury in Affected Limbs
- Stroke: Problems With Ignoring the Affected Side
- Stroke: Speech and Language Problems
- Stroke: Your Rehabilitation Team
- Sudden Heart Failure
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Temporal Artery Biopsy
- Thrombolytics for Heart Attack and Stroke
- Tony's Story: Taking Medicine for High Cholesterol
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
- Turning Off Your ICD
- Types of Bradycardia
- Tyrell's Story: Taking Pills for High Blood Pressure
- Understanding Virtual Care (Telemedicine)
- Using Nitroglycerin for Angina
- Vagal Manoeuvres for Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
- Valvuloplasty for Aortic Valve Stenosis
- Valvuloplasty for Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Varicose Veins
- Varicose Veins Home Treatment
- Vein Ligation and Stripping
- Venous Insufficiency
- Venous Skin Ulcer
- Venous Skin Ulcers: Home Treatment
- Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) for Heart Failure
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Warfarin and Vitamin K
- Weight and Coronary Artery Disease
- What to Do if Your Cardiac Device Is Recalled
- When to Have a Cholesterol Test
- Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
- Allen Test
- Ambulatory Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Angiogram
- Angiogram of the Head and Neck
- Angiogram of the Lung
- Ankle-Brachial Index Test
- Arterial Blood Gases (ABG) Test
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Test
- Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Test
- Cardiac Blood Pool Scan
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Cardiac Catheterization in Children
- Cardiac Enzyme Studies
- Cardiac Perfusion Scan
- Catecholamines in Blood Test
- Catecholamines in Urine Test
- Chest X-Ray
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests
- Computed Tomography (CT) Angiogram
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
- Coronary Calcium Scan
- Creatine Kinase Test
- Doppler Ultrasound
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Electrophysiology (EP) Study
- Exercise Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) Test
- Home Blood Pressure Test
- Lyme Disease Test
- Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Myoglobin Test
- Pericardiocentesis
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- Pulse Measurement
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)
- Stress Echocardiogram
- Tilt Table Test
- Transesophageal Echocardiogram
- Transthoracic Echocardiogram
- Ventriculogram
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Should I Get a Screening Test?
- Advance Care Planning: Should I Receive CPR and Life Support?
- Aspirin: Should I Take Daily Aspirin to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?
- Atrial Fibrillation: Should I Have Catheter Ablation?
- Atrial Fibrillation: Should I Take an Anticoagulant to Prevent Stroke?
- Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have an Angiogram?
- Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have Angioplasty for Stable Angina?
- Coronary Artery Disease: Should I Have Bypass Surgery?
- Heart Failure: Should I Get an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?
- Heart Rate Problems: Should I Get a Pacemaker?
- Heart Rhythm Problems: Should I Get an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)?
- High Blood Pressure: Should I Take Medicine?
- Peripheral Arterial Disease: Should I Have a Procedure or Surgery?
- Statins: Should I Take Them to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?
- Stroke Prevention: Should I Have a Carotid Artery Procedure?
- Varicose Veins: Should I Have a Surgical Procedure?
- Blood Thinners Other Than Warfarin: Taking Them Safely
- Compression Stockings: How to Use Them
- Coronary Artery Disease: Exercising for a Healthy Heart
- Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats From Your Diet
- Healthy Eating: Eating Less Sodium
- Heart Arrhythmias and Exercise
- Heart Failure Daily Action Plan
- Heart Failure: Activity and Exercise
- Heart Failure: Avoiding Medicines That Make Symptoms Worse
- Heart Failure: Watching Your Fluids
- Heart Health: Walking for a Healthy Heart
- High Blood Pressure: Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home
- High Blood Pressure: Taking Medicines Properly
- High Blood Pressure: Using the DASH Diet
- High Cholesterol: Making Lifestyle Changes
- ICD: Living Well With It
- Low-Salt Diets: Eating Out
- Oxygen Therapy: Using Oxygen at Home
- Pacemaker: Living Well With It
- Warfarin: Taking Your Medicine Safely
Current as of: June 24, 2023
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Ignite Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.