Month: October 2013

Leg pain with walking can indicate peripheral artery disease. A walking regimen and medication are usually the first steps in treating the condition.

Only 20% of people take their medications as prescribed. Cost and access are big parts of the problem, but people who understand their disease risks and make peace with their need for medication are more likely to take them as prescribed.

People who eat more than two servings of fruit each day have a 25% lower risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and a 43% lower risk of having a ruptured AAA than people who eat the least fruit, a Swedish study suggests.

Studies suggest that blood pressure-lowering drugs may do more than treat hypertension-they may also delay or prevent dementia. This isn’t yet proven, but maintaining a healthy blood pressure and reducing other heart risks likely lowers dementia risk.

A stiff, poorly working aortic valve is a life-threatening condition. Open-heart surgery to replace the aortic valve is the gold standard. For some individuals less invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement is an appropriate option.

A heart-healthy plan for holiday meals includes snacking before the meal to reduce hunger, limiting appetizers, savoring each bite, and staying active.

A bioengineered collagen patch allows the heart to do something it can’t do by itself: regenerate heart muscle killed by a heart attack. It works in mouse studies, and may in the future be used to deliver stem cells or medicines directly to the heart.

Pacemaker implantation does carry higher risks of complications and death for people over age 90 compared with those in their 70s-but the benefits may be well worth the risks.