When pro race car driver Paul Lee had a widow maker, the deadliest kind of heart attack, doctors told him he would never race again. But he was determined to prove them wrong and stay on track. Did he make up for lost time?
This medical device can detect problems during a routine medical exam. Get to know what prompted the stethoscope’s invention and how it evolved.
about 20 million people in the US take omega-3 supplements, mostly with the goal of preventing heart attacks and strokes. The question is, are they wasting their money, or getting essential health benefits?
Heart attack symptoms often occur for hours or days before the cardiac event. Learn more about possible symptoms.
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a quivery, fluttery heartbeat. You might also hear the doctor call it arrhythmia. It means your heart’s normal rhythm is out of whack. Because your blood isn't moving well, you're more likely to have heart failure. That's when your heart can't keep up with your body’s needs. Blood can also pool inside your heart and form clots. If one gets stuck in your brain, you can have a stroke.
What happens in AFib? Normally, the top part of your heart (the atria) squeezes first, then the bottom part (the ventricles). The timing of these contractions is what moves the blood. When you have AFib, the electrical signals that control this process are off-kilter. Instead of working together, the atria do their own thing.
