Cardiovascular Disease
Thanks to online-only health sites, sites operated by the National Institutes of Health and those of our country's top hospitals, clinics and nonprofit heart-health organizations, high-quality information on common and rare cardiovascular diseases are only a quick surf away. Use the Cardiovascular Disease Web Guide to find links to sites with verified, credible information.
Read a Spanish-language version of the Cardiovascular Disease Web Guide.
Read a Spanish-language version of the Cardiovascular Disease Web Guide.
Expand All Guide SectionsHow the Cardiovascular System Works
The term "cardiovascular system" refers to the functioning of the heart (cardio) and the blood vessels (vascular). More specifically, it's the biological system responsible for circulating blood and oxygen throughout the body. Use the sites below to learn how the cardiovascular system works.
Insights for How the Cardiovascular System Works
- Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term used to define any disease that afflicts your cardiovascular system. According to the Mayo Clinic, cardiovascular diseases fall under two categories: diseases of the heart and diseases of the blood vessels.
- Two prominent organizations whose sites are troves of information are the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. These sites have information on diseases and conditions, living healthy, risk assessment tools and other patient and professional resources.
Top Sites for How the Cardiovascular System Works
For general cardiovascular information …
Mayo Clinic
has a narrated video introduction to the circulatory system. This short clip covers the basics of how the heart and vascular system produce circulation. There's also a text transcript of the video available.
Texas Heart Institute,
a nonprofit organization involved in cardiovascular disease research, education and patient care, has a solid explanation of the workings of the circulatory system. Find a simple but effective illustration that allows users to zoom in for closer looks at the important components of the system. Also check out their overviews of the heart, heartbeats and the heart's conduction system.
For key cardiovascular terms …
American Heart Association
has a glossary of cardiac terms. The definitions included are brief but succinct, and very frequently appended with high-quality illustrations.
For the workings of the heart …
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
has a good introduction to the circulatory system, centering around its most prominent component—the heart. Aided by quality diagrams and narrated animations, this overview covers the anatomy of the system, the process of contraction, circulation, the heart's electrical system and heart disease.
For more on blood …
PBS's
2002 special report, "Red Gold," is all about blood. It tells the story of blood donation by tracing the epic journey a blood cell takes during this process: from creation, to the circulatory system, donation, a blood bank and finally transfusion. Find a history of blood, biographies of important physicians and researchers, and a Q&A with experts.
For parents …
KidsHealth
has an overview of the workings of the circulatory system in children: what it is, what it does and what can go wrong with it. Look for related articles below, such as “Cholesterol and Your Child” and “If Your Child Has a Heart Defect.”
For an overview of cardiovascular disease …
Mayo Clinic
has a good introduction to cardiovascular disease that covers symptoms, causes, risk factors, tests and diagnosis, treatments and more.
Heart Disease Types
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is responsible for 29 percent of deaths in the United States each year, making it the leading cause of death and a major cause of disability among Americans. Use the sites below to learn more about heart disease types, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack, angina, heart failure, arrhythmia and congenital heart disease.
Insights for Heart Disease Types
- The Cleveland Clinic has been voted "America’s #1 Heart Center" by U.S. News and World Report for 12 straight years. The clinic's site reflects its authority by hosting some of the most comprehensive heart information on the Web. For that reason, we've provided links to its pages where fitting.
Top Sites for Heart Disease Types
For an overview of heart disease …
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
has a gateway to heart disease information such as overviews, facts and statistics, advice on prevention, risks, causes and symptoms. This is a good place to begin your research.
HealthCentral
has authoritative, trustworthy information, and uses a number of excellent diagrams and animations to convey how different diseases afflict the heart. Look for additional resources on the left of the page, such as heart disease videos on topics like medical advances and new treatments.
For women with heart disease …
The National Women's Health Information Center
provides an explanation of heart disease and how to prevent it, as well as important information on issues specifically for women, such as how the birth control pill, the birth control patch and hormone replacement therapy can affect your risk of heart disease.
WomenHeart,
the online home of the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, has the latest heart news and cardiac information (such as conditions, treatments, facts and stats) as well as advice on keeping fit and healthy.
For seniors with heart disease …
Yale School of Medicine
hosts a nine-page PDF overview of heart disease in the elderly by cardiologist Lawrence H. Young. Find an introduction to heart disease and a discussion of how the heart ages, along with information on individual conditions, diagnostic procedures and treatment options.
For kids with heart disease …
KidsHealth
has heart disease information geared toward younger readers. Written in a simple yet not condescending voice, the article introduces specific conditions, diagnostic procedures and treatments.
For heart disease facts and stats …
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
has statistics on heart disease prevalence, incidence and more.
For heart disease organizations …
American Heart Association
has a wealth of information including detailed descriptions of specific diseases and conditions, a portal to the American Stroke Association's site, a list of heart attack and stroke warning signs, an encyclopedia of terms and considerable information on living a healthy lifestyle.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
presents links to Web sites, articles and Web applications dealing with specific diseases. The site's resources tend to be slightly less introductory, so this would be the place to go after acquiring an overview from another site.
For heart disease clinical trials …
ClinicalTrials.gov
brings you a comprehensive list of clinical research trials for different conditions all around the country. Enter the condition for which you'd like to find trials and the geographic location, and you'll be presented with a running list of trials as well as recruitment details.
Vascular Disease Types
A vascular disease is any disease afflicting your circulatory system. According to the Cleveland Clinic, vascular disease types include diseases of the arteries, veins and lymph vessels along with blood disorders affecting circulation.
Insights for Vascular Disease Types
- Examples of common vascular diseases are peripheral arterial disease, aneurysm, varicose veins, vasculitis, renovascular conditions and Raynaud's phenomenon.
- For inquiries about vascular surgery, visit VascularWeb, a site operated by the Society for Vascular Surgery. For patients, there's extensive information on conditions, tests and treatments; a database for locating vascular specialists; and patient medical news.
Top Sites for Vascular Disease Types
For overviews of vascular disease types …
Cleveland Clinic
has a guide to understanding vascular disease that gives a brief overview followed by short summaries of all the primary conditions. This is a great place for an introduction to vascular disease.
WebMD
has a quality introduction to vascular disease with specialized information on the most prominent vascular conditions.
Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis
If you or a loved one is suffering from a cardiovascular disease, you thankfully have the benefit of highly advanced and extremely effective diagnostic conditions for determining exactly what it is. Learn more about cardiovascular disease diagnosis with the sites below.
Insights for Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis
- WebMD's article, "Imaging the Heart: The New Frontier," discusses exciting technologies like CT scans, MRI, 3-dimensional echocardiography (3-D echo) and PET/CT that physicians are using to diagnose heart disease.
- Don't attempt to diagnose your own disease. If you think you're at risk or are experiencing symptoms, see your physician.
Top Sites for Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis
For an overview on diagnostic testing …
Texas Heart Institute
has information on diagnostic procedures geared toward patients. For each of the tests you'll find a description of how it works and what you can expect as a patient. In most cases, these descriptions are supplemented with photographs showing either the scanning equipment used or the images produced.
For echocardiography …
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
provides an overview of echocardiography, a procedure where sound waves are used to generate an image of the heart displaying any structural or functional abnormalities. The site covers the different types of echocardiography as well as what to expect before, during and after the procedure.
For electrocardiography …
Cleveland Clinic
has information about electrocardiography in its different forms. Using an electrocardiogram (EKG), physicians can monitor the electric activity of the heart and obtain a noninvasive view of its beating activity.
For coronary angiogram …
MedicineNet.com
has an overview of coronary angiogram, a procedure where the blood vessels are filled with a contrast material (a solution containing iodine for easy x-ray viewing) and the heart is x-rayed to reveal the severity of blockages in the coronary artery. The site discusses how the procedure is performed and includes a glossary of terms.
For computer imaging …
American Heart Association
covers the different imaging techniques doctors are using to produce cross-sections of the heart to measure calcium and monitor blood flow. Some of these procedures include Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT), Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT).
Cleveland Clinic
has overviews of different x-ray procedures. Each procedure is outlined with a definition, how to prepare, what to expect and what to do after the procedure.
For magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) …
MedlinePlus
has a description of how an MRI is conducted, how a patient can prepare, how it will feel, why it is performed and more. An MRI is a procedure where an image of the heart is generated through the use of powerful magnets and radio waves.
For magnetic resonance angiography …
MedlinePlus
describes MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) as an "MRI exam of the blood vessels," meaning a procedure where an image of the blood vessels is generated using magnets and radio waves. The site walks you through how the test is performed, how to prepare and what abnormal results mean.
For invasive tests …
Cleveland Clinic
describes how invasive tests require inserting catheters into the blood vessels of the heart and has overviews of the various invasive testing procedures: carotid angiography, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology study, intravascular ultrasound and myocardial biopsy.
For cardiac catheterization …
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
has an overview of the procedure known as cardiac catheterization. Performed to diagnose and treat certain heart diseases, this procedure involves inserting a long, cylindrical tube into blood vessels in the arm, neck, or groin and threading it to the heart.
Cardiovascular Disease Treatment
Heart and vascular conditions can be treated through a variety of methods including medication, surgery and transplants. Use the sites below to learn more about cardiovascular disease treatment options.
Insights for Cardiovascular Disease Treatment
- PBS's NOVA Online has a feature on the heart with an interesting history of the pioneering figures in heart surgery.
Top Sites for Cardiovascular Disease Treatment
For drug treatments ...
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
has descriptions of how different drugs attempt to counteract the effects of heart disease.
For surgery ...
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
offers "A Patient's Guide to Heart Surgery" that contains everything you need to know about heart surgery. Find basic information about how the heart works, types of heart surgeries (including heart transplants, coronary artery bypasses, grafts, heart valve surgery and non-surgical treatment options), and information on issues relating to before, during and after your surgery.
For children ...
Seattle Children's Hospital
has information about pediatric heart surgery along with details on how to prepare for your child's surgery. Look for write-ups on specific surgical procedures.
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Two factors playing an important role in your heart disease risk are diet and exercise. Unlike genetics, both of these factors can be controlled if you're motivated and willing to make any necessary lifestyle changes. Use the sites in this section to learn more about cardiovascular disease prevention.
Insights for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
- For additional information on improving your overall level of fitness, visit the findingDulcinea Fitness Web Guide. For tips on eating well, check out the findingDulcinea Nutrition Web Guide. If you want to learn more about smoking cessation, visit the findingDulcinea Quit Smoking Web Guide.
- The American Heart Association has an overview of heredity as a risk factor for heart disease.
Top Sites for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
For general cardiovascular disease prevention information …
HeartHub
from the American Heart Association offers suggestions for cardiovascular health improvement, and warning signs and symptoms. Find heart healthy quizzes, tools to help you assess your risk and plenty of information on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
explains how to lower your risk of heart disease with guidelines and recommendations.
For gauging fitness levels …
InteliHealth
explains how to define and then assess personal fitness levels. Learn how to use metabolic equivalents (METs) to gauge the intensity of your workout, use tables to see the intensity of different types of exercise and use the site’s tips for increasing METs.
myOptumHealth
has an online fitness assessment that helps you get a comprehensive look at how physically fit you really are. Use the “Calculators & Tools” section to find more assessment tools, like a BMI Calculator and a Healthy Weight Calculator.
For cardiovascular exercises …
myOptumHealth
has a list of common fitness programs that provide a cardiovascular workout. Choose an exercise program that looks interesting to you and then find out more about it, its advantages and disadvantages, how to pursue it, exercise guidelines and more.
InteliHealth
has a fitness portal with a variety of resources to help you learn about fitness and create an exercise program of your own. Determine your fitness level, submit a question to the site’s resident “expert” and find exercises you can do at your desk.
iVillage
has a wealth of articles on achieving cardiovascular fitness. They range greatly in content, covering pool aerobics, treadmills, inline skating, jumping rope and dance. Though the site is geared toward female readers, it has lots of great information for men, too.
For gyms near you …
American Council on Exercise
is a nonprofit site dedicated to encouraging physical fitness in the United States. This club locater searches for gyms based on location and provides results with addresses and contact information.
Health Club Directory
is a directory of gyms and health clubs in the U.S. and Canada. Search for a gym near you by entering your location and specific amenities or programs that you desire (for example, childcare, pilates or a sauna).
For heart-healthy diet information …
FamilyDoctor.org
has an article title "Healthy Balance for a Healthy Heart" that discusses how your diet can affect your heart. The article highlights quick tips on how to eat healthier.
Mayo Clinic
has eight steps for lowering your risk of heart disease. These include limiting unhealthy fats and cholesterol, choosing low-fat protein sources, and eating more veggies and fruits.
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