heart-letter
The VITAL study hopes to determine whether taking vitamin D and omega-3 fats have an effect on rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other illnesses, and whether high dosages of these supplements are safe.
Research has found a potential connection between low levels of vitamin D and increased risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular conditions.
Many older people do not get enough vitamin D, which may contribute to coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. Exposure to sunlight is not a reliable source of vitamin D during the winter months, so taking a supplement is recommended.
Brief updates on controlling heart rate with medication, quality of heart attack care at night and on weekends, and vitamin D’s importance to the heart and arteries.
Research suggests that a family history of heart attack is another factor that should be considered in estimating a person’s own heart attack risk.
Sometimes I walk while wearing my blood pressure cuff. At first my systolic blood pressure rises while my heart rate hardly changes. But when I start walking faster, my pressure stays steady while my heart rate increases to 110. Is this a normal pattern?
A study comparing the two methods of repairing an abdominal aortic aneurysm found differences in survival rates after the first month, but after several years survival rates for both groups were approximately the same.
I like smoked salmon and kippered herring, and thought that eating them was good for me. But I read in another health newsletter that the smoking process destroys all the heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Is that true?
People who undergo an angioplasty typically stay in the hospital overnight, but at some hospitals patients who meet strict criteria are now being allowed to go home the same day.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a thickening of the heart’s inner dividing wall that can weaken the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. Though its effects vary considerably, many people are able to live normally with the condition.