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People who do two to four times the amount of exercise recommended by the U.S. physical activity guidelines may reduce their mortality (especially from heart disease) more than people who meet the exercise guidelines, according to a 2022 study.
Eating red meat has long been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. Breakdown products created by gut bacteria when people eat meat may contribute to this heightened risk, according to a 2022 study.
People who take naps on a regular basis may be more likely to have high blood pressure, according to a 2022 study. Poor or insufficient sleep at night — a common cause of daytime naps — may be the underlying cause.
There are many misconceptions about dementia. One is that it’s a disease. In fact, dementia is a general term describing thinking and memory skills that have deteriorated to the point of experiencing problems with daily activities. Another myth is that dementia is part of normal aging. It isn’t; dementia is simply more common as people get older — just like heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Other common myths about dementia include the notions that it always appears as memory loss, it’s always genetic, it causes the loss of all memories, and it’s never reversible.
Catheter ablation destroys spots in the heart responsible for atrial fibrillation. Although traditionally used as a second-line treatment after medications fail, undergoing ablation earlier in the course of the disease may be a good option. The overall success rate for catheter ablation is around 75%. People sometimes undergo a second procedure if the first one isn’t effective; this boosts the success rate to nearly 90%. Many factors, such as age, other health problems, and duration of afib can affect a person’s outcome after catheter ablation.
Cervical artery dissection, a rare but potentially devastating cause of stroke, is a tear in the lining of one of the main arteries that carry blood to the brain. Any sudden, jerky neck movements, including chiropractic neck adjustments and whiplash from a car accident, can cause such a tear. Cervical artery dissections also have been reported after strenuous weight lifting, tennis, head-flinging dance moves, yoga, and roller coaster rides. The dissections occur in only about three in 100,000 people per year, but they are one of the most common causes of stroke in younger people.
Prices for six common heart tests and procedures at top-ranked U.S. hospitals showed surprisingly wide variations, according to a 2022 Harvard study. There was a 10-fold difference in the median prices patients pay for a heart ultrasound, and even larger disparities for procedures such as implanting a pacemaker. The differences may reflect power dynamics between hospitals and insurance companies. For both entities, factors such as location, size, and popularity influence that dynamic — which, in turn, affects the market dynamics that dictate costs.
A long, leisurely meal like Thanksgiving can be a good opportunity to practice mindful eating. Being mindful simply means bringing close attention and awareness to the present moment, without judgment.
For many people, non-HDL cholesterol (which is total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol) may be as good as (or even more reliable than) LDL for assessing a person’s risk of heart problems.
Listening to music (or singing or playing an instrument) may benefit cardiovascular health. Evidence suggests music helps rebalance the nervous system to promote the relaxation response and dampen the stress response. The benefits may result from greater heart rate variability, enhanced exercise performance, lower stress hormone levels, or reductions in blood pressure.