Discovery Health :: Heart Disease

Heart Disease

	Heart Disease Article Index Coronary heart disease, called CHD for short, occurs when blood vessels that supply the heart with blood and oxygen narrow. This narrowing takes place through a process called atherosclerosis. When this happens, your heart can't get all the oxygen it needs to pump blood to all parts of the body. CHD is sometimes called ischemic heart disease. It may also be called coronary artery disease, or CAD for short. It is a disease that deserves your attention. CHD poses serious threats to your health and the quality of your life. The most serious threat is the possibility of becoming disabled or even dying from a heart attack. But this doesn't have to happen to you. There are positive steps you can take, starting today. These actions will help reduce your chances of developing complications of CHD. If you don't have CHD, you can take steps now to reduce your risk of getting it. The same lifestyle choices people make to manage CHD will work to lower your risk of getting it. If you already have CHD, you can take steps to reduce its impact on your life and to reduce your risk of an early death. In either case, the more you know about CHD, the better. What you learn here will help you reduce the threat that CHD poses to your well-being, including the threats of heart attack and sudden cardiac death. A Quick Overview What is Happening to Me? What Causes CHD? What Are the Common Symptoms of CHD? What Kinds of Major Health Problems Can CHD Cause? How Can I Be Sure I Have CHD? How Is CHD Treated? How Much Will Treatment Help Me? What Are My Treatment Options? What Kind of Healthcare Professionals Do I Need? What Do I Need to Know About Making Lifestyle Changes? What Do I Need to Know About My Medicines? What Do I Need to Know About Surgery and Other Invasive Procedures? How Long Will I Need Treatment? How Do I Take Charge of My Health? What's the First Step? What Can I Do About Symptoms? How Do I Control My Cholesterol? How Do I Control My Blood Pressure? How Do I Make Changes to My Diet? How Can I Increase My Exercise? How Do I Lose Weight? How Do I Quit Smoking? What Records Do I Need to Keep? How Can I Make It Easier to Stick With My Treatment? How Do I Know If I'm Better? A Quick Overview What is Happening to Me When I Have Heart Disease? Can the Blood Supply to the Heart Get Completely Shut Off? Should I See a Doctor About Heart Disease? How Common Is CHD? What Causes CHD? What Are the Risk Factors for CHD? What Are the CHD Risk Factors I Can't Control? What Are the CHD Risk Factors I Can Control? What Are the Common Symptoms of Heart Disease? How Could I Have CHD and Have No Symptoms? What Kinds of Major Health Problems Can My CHD Cause? What Is Angina? What Causes Angina? What Are the Symptoms of Angina? What Should I Do If I Have Angina? What Can My Doctor Do About Angina? Does Angina Increase My Risk for Heart Attack? What Is a Heart Attack? What Are the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack? What Should I Do If I Have Warning Signs of a Heart Attack? What Causes a Heart Attack? What Is Sudden Cardiac Death? What Causes SCD? Can SCD Be Prevented? How Can I Be Sure I Have CHD? What Should I Tell the Doctor About My CHD Symptoms? What Should I Tell the Doctor About CHD and My Medical History? What Should I Tell the Doctor About CHD and My Family's Medical History? What Is My Doctor Checking During a Physical Exam? What Diagnostic Tests for Heart Disease Will I Need? How Is CHD Treated? How Much Will Heart Disease Treatment Help Me? How Can I Know If Heart Disease Treatment Is Working? What Are My Heart Disease Treatment Options? Are Lifestyle Changes the Right Choice for Me? Are There Easier Ways to Make Healthy Choices? Are Heart Disease Medicines Right for Me? Is Heart Surgery or Another Invasive Procedure Right for Me? What Kinds of Healthcare Professionals Do I Need for Heart Disease? What Kinds of Doctors Might I Need? What Other Kinds of Healthcare Professionals Might I Need for Heart Disease? What Do I Need to Know About Making Lifestyle Changes to Manage Heart Disease? What Specific Changes Can I Make for a Healthier Heart? What Do I Need to Know About Heart Disease Medicines? How Can I Get the Most From My Heart Disease Medicines? What Can I Do If I Have Side Effects From My Heart Disease Medicines? What Is the Specific Type of Heart Disease Medicine I Am Taking? Diuretics Calcium Channel Blockers Beta-Adrenergic Blocking Agents, Also Called Beta-Blockers Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE Inhibitors) Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blockers, Also Called Alpha Blockers Alpha-Beta Adrenergic Blockers Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers Vasodilators What Do I Need to Know About Statins? What Do I Need to Know About Bile Acid Resins? What Do I Need to Know About Nicotinic Acid? What Do I Need to Know About Fibrates? Beta-Blocker-Diuretic Combinations Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor-Diuretic Combinations Calcium Channel Blocker-ACE Inhibitor Combinations Alpha Blocker-Diuretic Combinations Centrally Acting Antiadrenergic Agents Centrally Acting Antiadrenergic Agent-Diuretic Combinations Peripherally Acting Antiadrenergic Agents Peripherally Acting Antiadrenergic Agent-Diuretic Combinations Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker-Diuretic Combinations Vasodilator-Diuretic Combinations What Do I Need to Know About Nitrates? What Do I Need to Know About Antiarrhythmics? What Do I Need to Know About Anticoagulants? What Do I Need to Know About Antiplatelets? What Do I Need to Know About Cardiac Glycosides? What Do I Need to Know About Heart Surgery and Other Invasive Procedures? What Do I Need to Know About Angioplasty? What Is Angioplasty? How Is Angioplasty Done? Are There Other Kinds of Angioplasty? What Can I Expect From Angioplasty? What Do I Need to Know About Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery? What Is CABG? How Is CABG Done? What Can I Expect From CABG? Are There Alternatives to CABG? How Long Will I Need Heart Disease Treatment? How Do I Take Charge of My Health and Heart Disease? What's the First Step to Managing Heart Disease? What Are the Benefits of Making Intensive Lifestyle Changes? How Do I Follow a Very-Low-Fat Vegetarian Diet? How Do I Make Intensive Changes to My Exercise Program? How Can Emotional Connections Help My Heart? How Do I Make Intensive Changes to Manage Stress? Am I Doing All I Can Do to Manage Heart Disease? How Can I Make the Changes I Need to Manage Heart Disease? How Can I Get Motivated to Manage Heart Disease? How Will My Doctor Help Me Manage Heart Disease? What Is Cardiac Rehabilitation? Who Should Be on My Cardiac Rehab Team? What Are the Components of Cardiac Rehab? What Can I Do About Symptoms of Heart Disease? What Are the Warning Signs of Stroke? What Are the Symptoms of Peripheral Vascular Disease? What Can I Do to Prevent a Heart Emergency? How Do I Control My Cholesterol? Should I Have My Cholesterol Checked? What Should My Cholesterol Levels Be? How Do I Control My Blood Pressure? How Can I Cut Back on Salt? What Do Salt Claims on Food Labels Mean? Which Foods Are Lower in Salt? Should I Have My Blood Pressure Checked? What Should My Blood Pressure Be? How Do I Make Changes to My Diet to Help My Heart? How Can Alcohol Affect My Heart? How Do I Increase My Exercise to Help My Heart? How Can I Overcome Barriers to Exercise? How Can I Get Started on an Exercise Program? What If I Already Have Heart Disease? What Type of Exercise Should I Do? How Much Exercise Is Enough? What's the Talk Test? What's My Target Heart Rate? How Can I Exercise Safely? How Can I Make Exercise More Enjoyable? How Do I Stick With My Exercise Program? How Can I Be More Active Each Day? How Do I Lose Weight? How Do I Know Whether I'm Overweight? What Is My Body Mass Index? What Does My Waist Measurement Mean? How Can I Lose Weight Safely and Keep It Off? How Can I Get Professional Help? What Strategies Can I Use to Lose Weight? How Do I Eat and Exercise to Lose Weight? How Can I Cut Calories Safely? How Many Servings Can I Have and Lose Weight? How Can I Cut the Fat in My Diet? What Is the DASH Diet? How Does Potassium Affect My Blood Pressure? Good Sources of Potassium How Does Magnesium Affect My Blood Pressure? How Does Calcium Affect My Blood Pressure? What Can I Eat on the DASH Diet? How Can I Cook Healthy Meals? How Much Can I Eat on the DASH Diet? Can I Choose a Healthy Food by Its Label? What Counts as a Serving? How Can I Stay Motivated to Keep Losing? Examine the Emotional Issues Behind Your Weight and Eating How Can I Keep From Regaining? How Do I Quit Smoking? How Do I Get Ready to Quit Smoking? Why Should I Quit Smoking? How Should I Quit? How Can I Keep From Smoking Again? What Records Do I Need to Keep About My Heart Disease? What Should I Tell My Doctor About What I've Tracked About My Heart Disease? How Can I Make It Easier to Stick With My Heart Disease Treatment? What Strategies Can I Use to Manage Heart Disease? How Can I Get the Support I Need to Manage Heart Disease? How Do I Know If My Heart Disease Is Better? What Should I Do If My Heart Disease Symptoms Get Worse?

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