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Heart Health Archive

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Walnuts: A worthy addition to your daily diet?

Research has found that people who eat nuts regularly are less likely to have heart disease. While all varieties of nuts are full of important nutrients, a two-year randomized trial shows a daily dose of walnuts lowered levels of harmful blood lipids that affect cardiovascular health -- and without adding extra pounds.

Ask the doctor: Is it possible to reverse coronary artery disease?

I have coronary artery disease. Is this something I can have cured or get rid of, or is keeping it from getting worse the best I can do?

Could high calcium intake damage my heart?

Past research hinted at a link between heart disease and a high intake of calcium from supplements, but more recent analyses have not found a connection between the two.

Different types of tachycardia

A rapid heartbeat may be due to supraventricular tachycardia or ventricular tachycardia. The former is usually harmless, while the latter is more serious and more likely to occur in older people with heart disease.

Breathing your way to better health

Taking time out of a stressful day to perform simple breathing exercises can reduce chronic stress and prevent the harm it can inflict on the body. Even a few short breathing sessions can make a big difference for many people. Chronic stress, when it goes unchecked, can lead to a host of health problems, including high blood pressure, obesity, anxiety, depression, and reduced immune response.

Drug therapy needs time to treat heart-related chest pain

Chest pain with exertion affects about one-quarter of people with stable coronary artery disease. A 2021 study found that these individuals can often eliminate their symptoms by following conservative drug therapy, without needing a stent or bypass surgery.

Aerobic exercise helps hard-to-treat high blood pressure

Regular aerobic exercise such as walking and cycling may help people with resistant hypertension lower their blood pressure.

COVID-19 diagnosis raises risk of heart attack, stroke

A Swedish study suggests that risk of a heart attack or stroke at least triples in the week following a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Diets rich in vitamin K linked to lower heart disease risk

Diets rich in vitamin K, especially the kind found in green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils, are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

The danger of a "silent" heart attack

So-called silent heart attacks (marked by unexplained weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, or nausea) often go unrecognized. But they may be almost as concerning as regular heart attacks and have been linked to a higher risk of stroke. Some of this heightened stroke risk stems from shared risk factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol levels. But heart attacks can also damage the heart’s lower chambers. This may prevent the heart from contracting normally, which can lead to formation of a clot that then travels to the brain, causing a stroke.

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