Category: heart-letter

When the heart temporarily gets less blood than it needs, it’s known as cardiac ischemia. Often the result of clogged heart arteries, ischemia can cause chest pain (angina).

People with chronic insomnia who also have difficulty napping during the day have an increased risk of having high blood pressure. A state of “hyperarousal” that makes sleeping a challenge may be to blame.

Minute specks of calcium in the walls of the heart’s arteries signal a higher risk of future heart attack or stroke. Making changes in seven key areas to reduce cardiovascular risk may prevent heart disease.

Small skin patches on the chest may offer an easier way to diagnose heart rhythm abnormalities than bulky, portable electrocardiogram (ECG) devices.

Having a demanding job with little control may slightly increase the risk of a stroke. Job strain may activate factors that predispose a person to developing a blood clot, which can lead to a stroke.

Smartphone applications (apps) that track and create charts of blood pressure readings over time may help people to better control their condition. But apps that use the phone itself as a blood pressure-measuring device may not be accurate.

Older people hospitalized for pneumonia face four times their usual risk of a heart attack or stroke or dying of heart disease in the month following the illness. The elevated risk declines over time.

Eating a cholesterol-lowering diet that includes one avocado per day may lower levels of undesirable LDL cholesterol. The monounsaturated fats, as well as fiber and other compounds found in avocados, likely contribute to this beneficial effect.

I take several medicines to get my blood pressure under control, and they seem to do the job. However, I get dizzy at times. Is there anything I can do, other than stopping my medications?

Even though national guidelines on managing cholesterol have shifted away from targeting specific cholesterol levels, tests that measure fats (lipids) in the blood, known as a lipid profile or panel, are still widely used and important.