The Basics

Your heart is a pump that is responsible for delivering blood to all parts of your body. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to nourish the cells, and veins transport oxygen-poor blood on its way back to the heart and lungs. This animation shows how the heart and circulatory system work.

Most U.S. adults have a heart age greater than their actual age, placing them at increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Watch this short video to learn why your heart age is important and what you can do to improve it.

Coronary artery spasm is a type of angina. Angina is pain that is caused by the heart muscles not getting enough blood. A sudden spasm or narrowing of a blood vessel that supplies the heart causes angina by reducing the amount of oxygen the heart receives. Coronary artery spasms often cause pain. Sometimes severe spasms can lead to irregular heartbeats. They can even cause heart attack, also known as acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and sudden death.

The pericardium is the thin, sac-like tissue that surrounds the heart. Inflammation of this tissue is called pericarditis. The condition may be mild and last only a few days. Or it may be more severe and lead to serious complications.

Watch this to learn how to perform hands-only CPR and other life saving steps for someone who is found not breathing.

Watch this video to learn what an Automated External Defibrillator or AED is, how it works, and when it should be used to help save a life.

Learn what the word "Cardiomyopathy" means.

Watch this to learn what the ventricular septum is.