Category: heart-letter

When medications can’t ease the symptoms of atrial fibrillation, a procedure called catheter ablation may be an option.

Artery-opening angioplasty done through the wrist has several advantages over the traditional approach done through the top of the thigh. Bleeding complications are less likely, recovery is shorter and easier, and costs are lower.

E-cigarettes have rapidly gained popularity as a low-risk alternative to tobacco. But many questions remain about their safety and utility as a smoking cessation aid.

About half of American adults take dietary supplements, including many who hope to prevent or treat heart disease.

A Mediterranean diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil may lower the risk of the heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation.

High triglycerides may be more important than low levels of “good” cholesterol when it comes to causing heart disease. Lifestyle changes such as weight loss, exercise, and smart food choices can lower high triglycerides.

Continuous positive airway pressure, common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, lowers blood pressure in people who have or are prone to heart disease.

The aortic valve, which separates the left ventricle from the body’s main artery (aorta), sometimes thickens in people over age 65.

The risk of a stroke in people who have had a previous stroke or TIA is high. Updated prevention guidelines aim to lower the chance of a future “brain attack.”

Insights into the structural and biochemical abnormalities that contribute to poor heart muscle function lends new complexity to the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure when ejection fraction appears normal.