Heart Health Archive

People with very high calcium scores (over 1,000) have a risk of heart attack or stroke similar to those who have already had a heart attack. They should take cholesterol-lowering drugs to bring down LDL levels and possibly undergo additional testing.

Smart watches can monitor different parameters simply by measuring a person's pulse and body movements. Potentially helpful features include those to detect very low or high heart rates, irregular heart rhythms, and breathing disruptions during sleep.

Substituting potassium-containing salt substitutes for regular salt can help lower blood pressure as well as the risk of stroke. But people should also check the sodium content in foods and eat more potassium-rich produce.

Most people don't need to fast before a lipid test because the difference between LDL cholesterol values when fasting or not fasting is very small. But people who have had high triglyceride levels should fast prior to the test.

Statins are among the most-prescribed drugs in the United States, but some people are concerned about side effects. Lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise can help lower cholesterol enough to take a statin break

The two main side effects caused by statins are muscle aches (which disappear once the drug is stopped) and a higher risk of diabetes (which is most common in people with obesity and prediabetes).

Treatments for severe carotid stenosis include a catheter-based procedure to insert a stent inside the carotid (carotid artery stenting) or surgery to remove the plaque inside the artery (carotid endarterectomy).

Drinking is linked to increased risks of high blood pressure. Alcohol elevates levels of the hormone renin, which narrows blood vessels and decreases urine output. The more often someone drinks, the more likely high blood pressure will result.

A 2024 study suggests that for people with atrial fibrillation (afib), heart failure may be a more common complication than stroke. People with afib should be vigilant for the early warning signs of heart failure, such as feeling tired and winded.

Taking supplements that contain high levels of biotin (vitamin B₇) can lead to falsely low or falsely high results on a troponin test, a blood test used to diagnose heart attacks.