What is aortic disease? The aorta is the largest tube (artery) that carries blood cells containing oxygen around the body to your vital organs. The blood cells are pumped from the main pumping chamber called the left ventricle in to

The incidence of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is now thought to be higher than previously believed (affecting 1 in every 1000 individuals), due to the availability of better diagnostic techniques and general awareness of the disorder amongst the medical

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder. It affects around 1-2% of the overall population. It is more common in men and is increasingly common as people age [1]. While it is associated with other medical conditions

In the western world it affects mainly young and middle-aged adult men. It has been associated with mutations in the same sodium channel that is affected in long QT syndrome, but this appears to account for only 1 in every

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare condition that has been associated with two genes that make proteins found inside the cell – the human ryanodine receptor (a calcium ion channel) and calsequestrin (a

Coronary artery anomalies The heart is a muscle and requires a regular supply of oxygen and nutrients to function. This is supplied by blood carried by two blood vessels known as the left and right coronary arteries. The arteries arise

Coronary artery disease The heart is a muscle and requires a regular supply of oxygen and nutrients to function. A network of blood vessels known as the coronary arteries supplies the heart. The coronary arteries can become narrowed by the

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) In dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) the main pumping chambers of the heart are dilated and contract poorly. This results in a reduced volume of blood (low output) pumped around the body which fails to meet the body’s demand

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) Read personal stories from myheart members with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy here. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition where the heart muscle becomes thickened. Traditionally, the term HCM was used for disease caused by abnormalities in genes which make

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an ion channelopathy. Ion channelopathies (also sometimes referred to as arrhythmia syndromes or cardiac channelopathies)affect the electrical functioning of the heart without affecting the heart’s structure. They are a group of rare genetic conditions that

Marfan’s syndrome Marfan’s syndrome is a disorder that affects many parts of the body including the heart, blood vessels, skeleton, and eyes. One in 5000 people in the United Kingdom have Marfan’s syndrome and both men and women can be

Read personal stories from myheart members with myocarditis here. Read Dr Sabiha Gati’s interview on myocarditis here. The term myocarditis refers to inflammation of the heart muscle. It is most often due to viral illness. Other causes include drug abuse and

What is a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and what causes it? A patent foramen ovale (or PFO for short) is a flap between the top 2 chambers of the heart which has not closed the way it should do at birth. During

Progressive cardiac conduction defect (PCCD) Progressive cardiac conduction defect (PCCD) is a rare condition. In people with PCCD, the heart’s electrical impulses are conducted very slowly and this results in the gradual development over time of heart block. (Heart block

What is right bundle branch block? Every normal heart is gifted with a natural in-built electrical system. The electrical impulse generated from this system results in beating of the heart. The electrical system divides into 2 branches (called right and

This rare condition is similar to but distinct from long QT syndrome (LQTS). As the name suggests the QT interval in carriers is shorter than in normal people. This means that the heart takes a shorter time to repolarise or

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) results from an additional electrical connection between the upper chambers of the heart (atria) and the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). This extra or accessory electrical pathway is present in approximately 1 in