Cardiovascular & Circulatory

Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure)

Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individual in a given environment could be diagnosed with hypotension, which is the opposite of hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure). Hypotension is a relative term because the blood pressure normally varies greatly with activity, age, medications and underlying medical conditions. Low blood pressure can result from conditions of the nervous system, conditions that do not begin in the nervous system and drugs.

Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)

A heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), is permanent damage to the heart muscle and more than 1.1 million Americans have heart attacks each year. Generally this is caused by atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque deposits in the arteries. Occasionally, these fatty deposits burst, causing blood clots to form. These clots block blood flow to the heart and the oxygen-deprived muscle quickly becomes damaged and heart attack ensues.

Neointimal Hyperplasia

Neointimal hyperplasia is a critical pathological process in several vascular occlusive diseases, including atherosclerosis, vein graft-induced arteriosclerosis and the restenotic response to angioplasty and stent placement.

Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts. Without blood and the oxygen it carries, part of the brain starts to die. The part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain can't work properly. Brain damage can begin within minutes, so it is important to know the symptoms of stroke and act fast. Typically, a stroke is caused when an artery to the brain is blocked by a clot which typically occurs in a blood vessel that has previously been narrowed due to atherosclerosis. When a blood clot or a piece of an atherosclerotic plaque (a cholesterol and calcium deposit on the wall of the artery) breaks loose, it can travel through the circulation and lodge in an artery of the brain, plugging it up and stopping the flow of blood. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are more than 780,000 strokes each year in the United States.

Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are swollen and twisted veins that are visible just under the surface of the skin. They appear most commonly in the legs, but also can develop in other parts of the body. Varicose veins usually don’t cause medical problems. On occasion, they require treatment for pain, skin problems, blood clots, or other complications. People may choose to have cosmetic treatment to improve the appearance of varicose veins.

Ventricular Tachycardia

The excessive rapidity in the action of the heart, the term is usually applied to a heart rate above 100 beats per minute and may be qualified as atrial junctional (nodal) or ventricular.