Health Article description.A cardiac blood pool scan shows how well your heart is pumping blood to the rest of your body. During this test, a small amount of a radioactive substance called a tracer is injected into a vein. A gamma camera detects the radioactive material as...

Health Article description.Coronary calcium scans use a special X-ray test called computed tomography (CT) to check for the buildup of calcium in plaque on the walls of the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries). This test is used to check for heart disease in an early...

Health Article description.Discusses peripartum cardiomyopathy. Covers symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Also covers risk factors and prevention.

Health Article description.A heart transplant is a procedure in which a surgeon removes a diseased heart and replaces it with a donor heart. During a heart transplant, a mechanical pump circulates blood through the body while the surgeon removes the diseased heart and...

Health Article description.In the normal heart, electrical impulses pace the rhythm at which the heart contracts and relaxes. The sinoatrial (SA) node triggers the electrical impulse, causing the upper chambers (atria) to contract. The signal travels through the atrioventricular (AV) node to the atrioventricular bundle, which divides into the...

Health Article description.The decision to have a limb amputated is difficult for the person and their doctor. Many times, extensive measures have been tried to save the limb. The major causes of amputation are diabetes and/or peripheral arterial disease that results in either painful, poor limb function or gangrene. In general, amputation is...

Health Article description.Courtesy of Intermountain Medical Imaging, Boise, Idaho. All rights reserved. Cardiac catheterization is done in the cardiac catheterization laboratory ("cath lab") by a cardiologist. Some of the tests and procedures that are done in a cath lab include: Testing for heart disease with an angiogram. Treating heart disease...

Health Article description.Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) means that the muscle of the heart's main pump (left ventricle) has become thick and enlarged. This can happen over time if the left ventricle has to work too hard. This part of the heart needs to be strong to...

Health Article description.What is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)? Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a fast heart rate (tachycardia) that starts after you stand up. This can cause symptoms such as dizziness or weakness. What causes it? Experts don't understand what causes it, but different body systems seem to...