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Heart and circulation

The heart and blood vessels that form the circulation are among the first organs that start working in a human body. And 70, 80 or 90 years later, the end of life is marked when they stop. Until then the heart will beat three billion times and pump 200 million litres of blood through the veins. The heart and circulation adapt quickly to the body's needs. The arteries and major blood vessels are flexible and muscular, and they can quickly increase or decrease in diameter to allow for changes in blood flow.

Feature: Anti-clotting medication

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.

Fact sheet

Feature: Coping psychologically after a stroke

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.

Feature: Heart attack

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.

Research summaries

After a stroke: What are the options for managing depression?

Antidepressants may not work in the way they are expected to for older people who have had strokes. The drugs might cause adverse effects such as increasing the risk of falls, so care is needed with their use. more...

Menopause: What are the effects of longterm hormone therapy?

Longterm hormone therapy for healthy women after the menopause causes more health problems than it prevents. This is particularly so for oestrogen combined with a progestogen. This might reduce the risk of bowel cancer and osteoporosis, but it increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. more...

Walking: What are the health benefits?

People who are currently very inactive can lose some weight and body fat, and increase their cardiovascular fitness, if they have four or more walks a week that last at least an hour in total. more...

Depression after heart attack: Is there a link between depression and heart problems?

Many people become depressed after having a heart attack, and depression can make heart problems worse. Relieving depression can improve the quality of life in people who are depressed after a heart attack. more...

Heart disease and diabetes: Is there a difference between the statins?

All of the five different statins that are licensed for use in Germany can lower the cholesterol level in the blood. But the deciding factor for patients is how well the medicine can prevent heart attacks and other coronary artery problems. From this point of view, simvastatin (marketed under various brand names) is the best tested. It has been shown to lengthen life expectancy of people with diabetes and particular heart diseases. more...

Heart failure: Do exercise programmes help people stay fit?

Many people with heart failure avoid strenuous activities. For some people, though, the opposite makes sense: special exercise programmes can help to increase their physical fitness and quality of life. more...

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): Can medication prevent blood clots in immobilised legs?

If you cannot move your leg for days, because of a broken bone for example, then particular anticoagulant drugs can reduce the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. However, the most important preventive measure is to start moving around again as soon as possible. more...

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): What is the risk of developing DVT during a flight and can it be prevented?

The risk of DVT is very low for healthy travellers. Even for people with risk factors, there is little risk on flights less than four to six hours, although their risk is a little higher for flights longer than six to eight hours. Compression stockings can reduce the risk. more...

Angina pectoris and heart attacks: What are the advantages and disadvantages of using ASA and clopidogrel together?

People who have unstable angina pectoris or have had a heart attack in the past can lower their risk of further heart problems if they take the drug clopidogrel as well as ASA. But this also increases the risk of bleeding. more...

Preventing strokes: Is it better to self-manage anticoagulant medications like warfarin and "Marcumar"?

People who take anticoagulants like warfarin and "Marcumar" can reduce their risk of stroke if they monitor their blood and adjust the dose themselves. This does not increase the risk of bleeding that these drugs can cause. more...