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Some panic attack symptoms—a racing heart, breathlessness and dizziness—overlap with supraventricular tachycardia. This heart rhythm disorder occurs when faulty electrical signals trigger a series of very fast heartbeats.
In people with obesity, a high-dose weekly injection of the diabetes drug semaglutide caused a 15% weight loss and improved other heart-related risk factors. Semaglutide works by mimicking a substance called GLP-1, which is made naturally by the gut and the brain. It prods the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar rises too high, reduces appetite, and makes people feel full following a meal.
A diastolic blood pressure reading lower than 60 mm Hg may be linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people at high cardiovascular risk. Diastolic pressure tends to fall with age. Some people with a low reading have a leaky aortic valve, which interferes with normal blood circulation throughout the heart and causes diastolic pressure to fall. But in people with healthy aortic valves who can be physically active without any symptoms (such as chest pressure, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness), a low diastolic blood pressure should not pose a problem.
It’s estimated that only 30% of American adults do the twice-per-week strength training recommended by experts. Some people think they need special equipment to perform strength-building exercises, while others just don’t know where to start. Adding three simple exercises—push-ups, reverse lunges, and planks—to one’s physical activity twice a week can help improve strength, which may help a person stay independent longer.
Many people contract COVID-19 from people who have no symptoms.
People may notice they get less sleep on the nights leading up to a full moon.
Traumatic childhood experiences may harm heart health later in life. Research shows that adults who experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as neglect; physical, sexual or emotional abuse; or witnessing violence at home had double the risk of cardiovascular disease and double the risk of an early death compared with people who didn’t experience any ACEs at all. But while the risk of cardiovascular disease rises among people with ACEs, lifestyle changes can still prevent health problems down the line.
In rare cases, people who have had cosmetic dermal fillers experience swelling after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, but this shouldn’t stop people with fillers from being vaccinated.
A ringing sound in one or both ears is usually a form of an annoying condition called tinnitus. When tinnitus persists, treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy or biofeedback, can ease symptoms.
Chemical peels, which use a chemical solution to remove the top layers of the skin, are sometimes used to target skin changes that often occur with age. There are home versions as well as peels that are used in medical spas and dermatologists’ offices. They can be beneficial as long as one uses the right agent and the right technique. Used incorrectly, chemical peels can be harmful and even cause burns or pigment changes.