Heart disease has been the No. 1 cause of death in America for nearly a century, claiming more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. In the U.S. alone, someone has a coronary event (a heart attack or death from coronary heart disease) every 40 seconds.

But you don’t need to become a statistic. To help you slow or even prevent the progression of heart disease, Harvard Medical School experts created Diseases of the Heart.

This Special Health Report brings you important information on various conditions that affect the heart, along with their causes and symptoms, how they're diagnosed, and how they can be prevented. You’ll learn about major cardiovascular problems such as hardening of the arteries, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, and more.

You’ll get details on atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, valve problems, aneurysms, and infections and inflammation of the heart, as well as rare conditions and congenital defects.

You’ll find answers you can trust to nearly all your cardiovascular questions, like: 

• Why you may need your blood pressure taken at your ankle
• A common cause of heart palpitations
• Why a low-sodium diet is critical if you have heart failure
• Reasons you may need cholesterol-lowering medication even if your cholesterol levels are normal
• And so much more!

Plus, you’ll get a Special Bonus Section—Lifestyle habits that help your heart—that reveals dozens of things you can do to keep your heart healthy.