Plaque buildup in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis, is most commonly due to two types of dietary fats: saturated fats and trans fats. Consuming high amounts of each of these fats will cause bad, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels to rise.

Your heart normally beats in a regular rhythm at a rate of roughly 60 to 100 beats per minute at rest. When the resting heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute, this is called tachycardia. Many conditions and diseases can cause tachycardia.

A slow heart rate, called bradycardia, may result from various medications. Some drugs were developed specifically to slow the heart rate. But bradycardia may be an unwanted side effect of a wide range of other medications that were not developed to have any impact on the heart.

Sterols, also known as steroid alcohols, are a class of chemicals that play multiple important roles in the body. They have parts that can dissolve in fat-like molecules and parts that can dissolve in water.

Ganache is one of the mainstays of the pastry chef's kitchen. A mixture of cream and high quality chocolate, it can be made thick and fudgy or thin and runny, depending on how it's to be used.

The cardiovascular system, made up primarily of the heart, blood vessels, and blood, is responsible for distributing oxygenated blood to body cells, and removing metabolic waste from the cells.

A pulse oximeter measures the amount of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen. Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) between 96 and 100 percent are considered normal, according to nursing instructor Kathy Lawrence, M.S.N. of the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Sleep represents an uninterrupted, unconscious resting time for your body and mind. Adults typically require 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily, according to 2015 recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation. During sleep, your heart rate normally slows due to complex regulatory mechanisms.

A leaky heart valve can result from genetic factors or from acquired injury to your heart. Common acquired causes of heart valve dysfunction include high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Fat stored in the belly, called visceral fat, is different from subcutaneous fat stored elsewhere. According to Harvard Medical School, belly fat indicates a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Cardiac muscle is specialized tissue that is found only in the heart. It has characteristics similar to both smooth and skeletal muscle tissue, as well as specialized properties, that allow it to function with fast but sustained contractions, rapid conduction and coordinated movement.

Heart arrhythmia is an abnormal rhythm or rate of the heartbeat. It can cause the heart to beat an irregular rhythm, beat too quickly or beat too slowly. Although exercise is typically good for the heart, it can sometimes trigger arrhythmia episodes in some people.