The most common heart condition people develop in the United States is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can cause patients to experience angina or heart attacks.

Cardiac arrest and a heart attack are both life-threatening situations that require immediate medical intervention. It’s common for people to use these terms interchangeably, but there are major differences between the two events. In a heart attack, a blockage prevents blood from reaching the heart. In cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops working. In other…

Some number over some other number… To many, that’s what it sounds like when the nurse, doctor, or other medical professional announces their blood pressure reading. It’s like listening to someone as they tell you something important, but they are telling it to you in another language that you don’t understand. Whether it’s for your…

Thanks to depictions in movies and TV shows, it’s almost expected for someone experiencing a heart attack to clutch their arm or chest, buckle at the knees, and fall to the ground. This sequence is what’s known as the “Hollywood heart attack” because it’s visually theatrical and tells audiences exactly what they need to know…