I am 78 years old. An echocardiogram showed a leak in my mitral valve. A follow-up test showed some leakage in my tricuspid valve. I like to exercise, but don’t want to make these problems worse. Is it okay for me to walk on a treadmill or lift weights?
My doctor told me I should think about having a procedure something like angioplasty to stop my atrial fibrillation. Can you tell me more?
I’ve been diagnosed with pseudogout, which I understand is caused by a buildup of calcium crystals in the joints. Should I be concerned about taking a calcium supplement?
I avoid grapefruit juice because my doctor says it affects how my body handles the Lipitor I take for my cholesterol. Should I also stay away from pomelo?
Many people in my neighborhood heat their homes with wood stoves. The smoke really bothers me. Does what’s coming out of their chimneys affect my heart?
I am a 57-year-old man. I understand that moderate drinking may help me avoid a heart attack. But I’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, and I was told that alcohol can raise my blood pressure and stress my heart. So is drinking likely to help or harm me?
I’ve heard you should take an aspirin if you think you are having a heart attack. I already take aspirin (325 mg) every day. Should I still take an aspirin if I feel a heart attack coming on?
Are there any noninvasive, radiation-free tests that can give the same information about possible blockages in my coronary arteries as a nuclear stress test? I’ve had so many CT scans for other conditions that I’d prefer to go non-nuclear for a while.
I heard somewhere that the type of earwax you have is linked to your risk of heart disease. Can that be true?
I had a nuclear exercise test last fall, and it was perfectly normal. Imagine my surprise this spring when I developed burning chest pain that turned out to be a heart attack on the bottom part of my heart. Did the doctors mess up the reading of my test?