cardiovascular disease: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 10, 2026

News •

Intensive blood pressure therapy did not cut cardiovascular events in adults with diabetes • Nov. 9, 2026, 5:40 PM ET (Medical Xpress)

Diabetes medication may lower heart attack and stroke risk by curbing platelet overactivation • Oct. 28, 2026, 2:20 PM ET (Medical Xpress)

Marijuana legalization tied to rise in heart hospitalizations, study finds • Oct. 24, 2026, 3:34 PM ET (USA Today)

Coating & High-Purity Expertise: Semicera Builds Semiconductor Process Material Brand Moat with 59,000㎡ Facility • Oct. 22, 2026, 7:46 AM ET (Des Moines Register)

How you drink your tea could determine whether you gain or lose heart health benefits • Oct. 21, 2026, 3:01 AM ET (CNN)

Facts

Also Known As	cardiovascular system disease

Photos and Videos

The role of coronary artery disease in heart attack

Early experiments on blood circulation

Side-by-side diagrams of a normal heart and a heart with an atrial septal defect, showing blood flow through heart chambers and highlighting the abnormal opening between the left and right atria in the defective heart.

Diagram comparing a normal heart and a heart with a ventricular septal defect, showing the location of the defect in the septum between the ventricles and altered blood flow between the right and left ventricles.

atheromatous plaque

Medical diagram showing coronary artery bypass surgery. It highlights blocked arteries in the heart and illustrates how blood flow is rerouted using a mammary graft and a saphenous vein graft from the leg.

ion permeance and action potential

Side-by-side diagram showing a normal electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform with labeled P, Q, R, S, and T deflections on the left, and a labeled anatomical illustration of the heart's impulse-conducting system on the right, highlighting nodes, bundle branches, and heart chambers.

Diagram of the human heart showing the electrical conduction system, with labeled pathways from the sinoatrial node to the atrioventricular node, bundle of His, and bundle branches, along with heart chambers and major vessels.

What does an electrocardiogram show?

Why you should know your cholesterol levels

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

thrombus embolus heart disease angina pectoris aneurysm embolism thrombosis aortic arch atresia vasospasm ectopic pacemaker mental disorder cancer nervous system disease digestive system disease respiratory disease blood disease eye disease infectious disease renal system disease immune system disorder

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes

Male muscle, man flexing arm, bicep curl.

Facts You Should Know: The Human Body Quiz

Superficial arteries and veins of face and scalp, cardiovascular system, human anatomy, (Netter replacement project - SSC)

The Human Body