Category: heart-letter

Brief reports on heart failure and avoiding rehospitalization, the dangerous combination of prehypertension and prediabetes, and a warning about eating Dead Sea salt.

I had an orchiectomy for prostate cancer. Not long afterward, I had two cardiac stents implanted. I still have some angina and shortness of breath. I started Ranexa, which helps my angina. Do you have any suggestions for protecting my heart?

Researchers comparing diets found that the type of diet a person follows (low-fat, low-carb, etc.) is not so important, as long as it provides the necessary nutrition and matches a person’s metabolism.

Controlling heart rate is one strategy for managing atrial fibrillation. Keeping the heart rate below a more lenient number of beats per minute may be just as effective as aiming for a lower number.

Last year I had a deep-vein thrombosis with a small pulmonary embolism, apparently precipitated by flying across the country without getting up and walking around. Is it safe for me to fly again? If so, what precautions would you recommend?

Vasospasm is a sudden narrowing of an artery, caused by a chemical imbalance, that can feel like a heart attack. It can disrupt the heart’s rhythm or trigger a heart attack in a person with clogged arteries or a weak heart.

People who believe they have been overcharged for medical care or services can enlist a company to examine their bills.

For better, fresher produce this summer, consider buying your produce from a local farmers’ market or planting a garden and growing your own.

The key to a successful cardiac rehabilitation program is sticking with it. Those who complete a program have increased longevity and less chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

Wide-ranging daily blood pressure readings could be an indicator of increased risk of a heart attack or stroke.