Heart and circulation

Many people who have had a heart attack or stroke, for example, take anti-clotting medication to prevent blood clots from forming and to lower the risk of complications. How does blood clot? When do blood clots become dangerous? What are anticoagulants? And can other drugs change the effect of anti-clotting medication? – You can find the answers to these and other questions here.

Grief and sadness are normal after a stroke. But some people will become clinically depressed. You can find out about the signs of depression in our fact sheet. And we also have information on treatment and support options for patients and caregivers.

The symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD, also called coronary heart disease) can vary greatly, and include things like breathlessness or chest pain when climbing stairs. Being well-informed about the disease can help you detect the warnings signs early on. Read about how you can prevent complications of CAD by taking medication, what implications CAD has in everyday life and whether omega-3 fatty acids have an effect on the cardiovascular system.

Heart attack. People are quick to picture an "executive" stereotype: too much stress, smoking too much, eating too much. But that is far short of the reality. Although it is true that an unhealthy lifestyle increases the risk of a heart attack. But a heart attack is not just a typical problem for stressed men: heart attacks are one of the most common causes of death in women in industrialised countries - more women die of heart attacks than breast cancer, for example. Read more about the signs of a heart attack and test your heart attack knowledge in our new quiz.

We describe the most common surgical and the latest non-surgical treatments, and help you to be able to tell when varicose veins and swollen legs may be signs of serious health problems. You can also read about who is at higher risk of getting varicose veins and what you can do on your own to reduce leg pain.