Category: heart-letter

Heart palpitations can be alarming but are not usually dangerous. An unexpectedly fast or pounding heartbeat most often occurs during exercise, under stress, or after consuming caffeine. However, it is important to rule out more serious causes.

For people hoping to lower their risk of heart disease, the 2016 dietary guidelines may not offer optimal advice. Nutrition experts and the American Heart Association suggest tighter limits on salt, sugar, red meat, and eggs.

For long-term weight loss (at least one year), a Mediterranean diet appears to be equally effective as a low-carb or American Diabetes Association diet, and better than a low-fat diet.

A mail-order genetic test claims it can identify people at risk of developing muscle pain from taking a cholesterol-lowering statin. But results apply only to a rare form of statin-induced muscle pain that affects about one in 1,000 people.