I have a deep muscle massage every month or so. After my sister had a stroke, I started worrying that my massages could loosen any plaque in my carotid arteries, which could make me have a stroke. Could this happen?
Researchers found that women who did not express their feelings during marital arguments were at higher risk of dying prematurely.
Results of a trial showed that exercise and weight loss combined with the DASH diet for blood pressure control achieved a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure than the diet alone.
High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and plays a role in cognitive decline. Simple lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, and losing weight can lower blood pressure.
People who take warfarin to prevent blood clots who need to undergo a surgical procedure generally need to stop taking the drug a few days beforehand, but for those who are at high risk of a clot, taking heparin instead for a few days may be necessary.
Blood pressure tends to increase with age as arteries stiffen. From midlife onward, the focus should be on the systolic number, which tends to rise more sharply in women after menopause than in men of similar age.
My doctor usually checks my blood pressure in my left arm. At my checkup he used my right arm, and the reading was 10 points higher than usual. I asked him to check my left, and it was 8 points lower. Does the difference matter? Which is my real pressure?
The medical view of atherosclerosis is changing from the traditional one of arteries blocked by plaque to a more encompassing one, with inflammation as the main cause and an emphasis on stopping it before it even starts.
A study of menopausal women found that they experienced hot flashes for an average of more than five years, much longer than had been previously thought.
This special section highlights the relationships between the heart and many other parts of the body.