Heart Beat: Treating sleep apnea may pay off for the heart
Sleep apnea can damage the heart or cause rhythm problems. Treating the apnea may stop or reverse this damage.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Month: April 2010
High resting heart rate predicts heart risk in women at midlife
A study based on data from the Women's Health Initiative suggests that a high resting heart rate is an indicator of risk of heart attack in middle-aged women.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Siestas and your heart: Can you nap your way to health?
A study in Greece found that men who napped regularly were significantly less likely to die of heart disease. Naps also tend to reduce fatigue and stress and improve alertness and mood.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Ask the doctor: Can a massage cause a stroke?
I have a deep muscle massage every month or so. After my sister had a stroke, I started worrying that my massages could loosen any plaque in my carotid arteries, which could make me have a stroke. Could this happen?
Content restricted. Requires subscription
From the journals: Unhealthy for women not to speak up during marital spats
Researchers found that women who did not express their feelings during marital arguments were at higher risk of dying prematurely.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Heart Beat: The biggest loser
Results of a trial showed that exercise and weight loss combined with the DASH diet for blood pressure control achieved a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure than the diet alone.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Blood pressure and your brain
High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and plays a role in cognitive decline. Simple lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, and losing weight can lower blood pressure.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Heart Beat: Heparin: a risky bridge over troubled waters?
People who take warfarin to prevent blood clots who need to undergo a surgical procedure generally need to stop taking the drug a few days beforehand, but for those who are at high risk of a clot, taking heparin instead for a few days may be necessary.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
Staying attuned to blood pressure
Blood pressure tends to increase with age as arteries stiffen. From midlife onward, the focus should be on the systolic number, which tends to rise more sharply in women after menopause than in men of similar age.
Content restricted. Requires subscription
On call: Blood pressure in both arms
My doctor usually checks my blood pressure in my left arm. At my checkup he used my right arm, and the reading was 10 points higher than usual. I asked him to check my left, and it was 8 points lower. Does the difference matter? Which is my real pressure?
Content restricted. Requires subscription