The pulmonary artery is the blood vessel that takes blood from the right side of your heart to your lungs to get oxygen. If the pressure in that artery builds up, you could get pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This disease can cause heart failure and death. Knowing the risk factors Read more…
Heart disease is a leading cause of death. Often resulting from a buildup of sticky “plaques” in the arteries, these plaques can harden and narrow your arteries. Eventual blockage results in a heart attack or stroke. The protein SPRR3 helps keep your arteries healthy and when this protein doesn’t work, Read more…
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension cause 13.5 % of deaths around the world. Many people suffer for a long time with this disease. It costs a lot of money for patients and taxpayers. It can also lead to other problems, such as heart attacks and strokes. Black people Read more…
Cardiomyopathy is a heart disease that causes your heart to get weaker and larger. There are several forms of this disease. Over 80 different genes have been linked to forms of this disease that run in families. But, not everyone who has changes in those genes has the disease . Read more…
Stress prompts the body’s “fight or flight” response to kick in. This releases chemicals that increase blood sugar. This condition is common after a sudden illness like a heart attack. Patients with this problem are more likely to die than patients without this problem. Slight differences (variants) in a gene Read more…
Coronary artery disease (CAD), or heart disease, is the leading cause of death in Americans. In CAD, cholesterol builds up inside the arteries. High levels of cholesterol in your blood put you at risk of having heart disease. Other substances in your blood, like triglycerides, also increase risk. Triglycerides are Read more…
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans. Many things can increase your chances of getting the disease. Levels of lipoproteins in your blood affect your risk of heart disease. Lipoproteins carry cholesterol and other substances through the blood. The genes you inherit from your parents may play Read more…
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the heart gets enlarged and weaker. This causes it to not pump blood properly. Changes (variants) in dozens of genes can cause DCM. But most cases of the disease cannot be explained by these mutations. DCM often runs Read more…
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep problem. People with OSA briefly, but, stop breathing while they sleep. This happens because the airways narrow or close during sleep. OSA is often linked to serious heart problems, like atrial fibrillation (AF). In AF, the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat Read more…
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of arrhythmia, or abnormal heartbeat. More than 2 million people in the United States have this condition. If AF is not treated quickly, it can be deadly. It can lead to strokes, heart attacks, or heart failure. Many conditions can make a person more Read more…