Knowledge is Power

If you were recently diagnosed with a cardiovascular condition, or have recently undergone a cardiovascular procedure, you probably have a lot of questions about your heart health and need a trustworthy source of information.

To make informed decisions about your care, and to get detailed information about cardiovascular disease and related conditions, our Healthwise Health Information Library provides the most current information and articles on your specific topic of interest.

You may also wish to visit our Risk Assessments & Animations section of our website to see animations of various cardiovascular procedures, learn about the anatomy of the heart, and participate in a confidential survey that will culminate in your own personal health status report that you can print and share with your doctor.

About the Heart

The heart is an intricate web of blood vessels and electrical circuits, comprised of four chambers (the two upper chambers are the right and left atrium and the two lower chambers are left and right ventricle) that are linked by valves that act as doorways. The heart chambers, blood vessels, and electrical pathways work together to ensure the heart pumps an adequate amount of oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body and carries away waste products. Trouble in any part of any of the heart’s components can disrupt the entire system and lead to problems elsewhere.