A study found that heart disease deaths peaked each year during flu season, because the flu can trigger a heart attack or stroke. Those with heart disease, and those at higher risk of getting it, should get a flu vaccine each year.
A patent foramen ovale is a small hole in the heart which usually closes soon after birth, but if it does not, it may be a cause of stroke later in life.
For people with severe heart failure, a pumping device called a left ventricular assist may prolong life for those who are not healthy enough for transplant surgery, or who face a lenghty wait on the transplant list.
Decisions about prostate cancer treatment are often made based on the results of PSA testing, but the PSA reading can fluctuate due to exercise or even climate, so a high test reading may not necessarily mean a prostate cancer diagnosis.
When an artery becomes narrowed by plaque, the body responds by growing and strengthening nearby blood vessels to move blood around the narrowing, possibly preventing heart disease. Vigorous exercise can stimulate this blood vessel growth.
Testing of a new type of drug for the treatment of osteoporosis found that it reduced fracture risk, though it has not yet been compared to the other osteoporosis medications already available.
Coronary artery disease is the biggest cause of heart attacks in younger men, but other causes include defective arteries, clot disorders, and drug abuse.
The multiple nutrients that occur naturally in fruits and vegetables are beneficial to the heart and the rest of the body in numerous ways, and thus should be a part of everyone’s diet.
Potassium helps fight high blood pressure, but most Americans do not get enough potassium from their diet. Eating more fruits, vegetables, beans, and certain other foods boosts potassium levels.
Nuts are considered a healthy food when eaten in moderate amounts, but chewing them thoroughly seems to release more of the nut’s nutritional value.