Special section: Cardiovascular connections: Two-way street between heart and health

Special section: Cardiovascular connections

Two-way street between heart and health

The thigh bone's connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone's connected to the leg boneā€¦

If there were such a thing as the heart bone, it would be smack in the middle of each line of the old spiritual, "Dem Bones." Once thought of as a solitary, aloof pump, the heart is now known to affect, and be affected by, all parts of the body. Some of the connections reflect the widespread impact of artery-clogging atherosclerosis. Others underscore the intimate relationships between body parts. In this special section, we explore the myriad connections between the heart and other organs and tissues.

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