Category: heart-letter

Brief reports on a connection between shingles and stroke, the heart-protective properties of oats, and a warning about combining two HIV drugs in people with a heart rhythm problem.

A “polypill” containing multiple blood pressure medications, a statin, and aspirin may be a simple, workable approach to help prevent heart disease.

Psoriasis, which is not a skin disease but an immune disorder, may be linked to heart disease, possibly through inflammation.

I had an electrocardiogram in preparation for minor surgery. My doctor told me it showed that I have right bundle branch block. Neither he nor my cardiologist are worried about it, but I am. Is this serious?

People taking the “triple therapy” combination of aspirin, Plavix, and warfarin are at increased risk of bleeding. A panel of experts has recommended a set of guidelines intended to make taking this drug combination safe and effective.

Omega-6 fats were once criticized as unhealthy, but researchers for the American Heart Association have concluded that they are in fact beneficial to the heart.

Those with a narrowed carotid artery have a choice between two procedures to clear the blockage: endarterectomy or angioplasty. Although it is less invasive, the risk of stroke is higher following angioplasty, making it the riskier choice for most people.

The belief that acupuncture can lower blood pressure has been tested by studies, but the conclusions regarding its effectiveness are divided.

Almost three years ago I had triple bypass surgery and mitral valve replacement. I did so having only one lung. It feels like the operation somehow harmed my lung, making it harder to breathe. Can heart surgery do this?

A movement called Hospital at Home seeks to provide professional-caliber meeical care at home to people who need care but do not need to be hospitalized.