This is a comprehensive guide to the heart - how to keep it healthy and how to cope with disease. Millions of Americans - men, women, and children - have some form of cardiovascular disease. However, medical breakthroughs in cardiovascular research have changed the way the heart is treated, and prevention or treatment can be aided with simple lifestyle changes. By taking care of your circulatory system with such practices as exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet, you can increase the odds of a healthier heart and a longer life. ""The A to Z of the Heart and Heart Disease"" brings together the most current information about the heart and related topics. This volume offers a complete overview of the medical, scientific, social, and lifestyle implications of heart disease. More than 600 detailed entries cover such topics as etiology, symptoms, preventive strategies, treatments, medications, procedures, surgeries, research, medical terms, coping and care giving, living with heart disease, hope for a cure, and more. Appendixes feature an extensive bibliography; a directory of leading heart hospitals, research centers, and organizations; and a quick-reference emergency guide, making this the most accessible and thorough encyclopedia of its kind.