Heart Health Archive

Low thyroid hormone can quietly nudge LDL and glucose in the wrong direction. Learn more about the connection.

Carbohydrate intake and other aspects of your diet may impact triglyceride levels. See how everyday choices may nudge this number up or down.

Legs that repeatedly give out after activity, then recover with rest, may point to more than low minerals and warrant prompt medical evaluation.

Regular blood donations can slowly drain iron stores, lowering hemoglobin levels. Iron supplements may help rebuild them.

Certain diuretics flush out both water and potassium, but not everyone needs extra. Your doctor will consider blood test results and which other medications you're taking to determine the safest approach.

Seasons can affect blood pressure. But winter chills, holiday weight gain, and salty comfort foods can also push readings higher as warm weather gives way to cold.

Electrical cardioversion is generally a safe, painless procedure used to convert a rapid or irregular heartbeat (such as atrial fibrillation) back to a normal rhythm. It’s done under sedation and takes only a few minutes.

Long QT syndrome is a disorder of the heart’s electrical system that can be either acquired (for example, due to a medication) or congenital. Although usually people have no symptoms, it can cause a fast, erratic heartbeat that may lead to shortness of breath, fainting, and sometimes death.

A 2025 study found that people who had received a shingles vaccination had lower risks for stroke and various types of heart disease, including heart failure and heart attacks, compared with people who didn't receive a shingles vaccine.

Meatless burgers-which include plant-based meat alternatives like Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger and veggie burgers-are healthy replacements for traditional hamburgers. Those with the lowest amounts of saturated fat and sodium are the best options.