Changes in blood pressure are orchestrated by the nervous system. Baroreceptors, specialized receptors in the aorta and arteries of the neck and thorax, send messages to the brain when modifications in blood pressure need to be made. This in turn signals changes in the rate and force of the contractions of the heart and in [...]
Historically, atherosclerosis has been referred to as a general term for thickening and hardening of the arteries, a condition that underlies many of the ischemic heart diseases. Atherosclerosis is actually a type of arteriosclerosis and is characterized by deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood) [...]
Doctors examine venous pulses by looking rather than by listening or palpation. They carefully look at your neck when you are lying down with your head partially raised or when you are sitting up. They observe the slight expansion made by the jugular vein in the neck as the heart beats. The jugular vein is [...]