heart-letter
Statins are usually the first choice to lower LDL cholesterol levels in most people who need medications, but some still fail to reach their desired targets. A new class of drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors may be able to pick up the slack.
Exposure to traffic noise may slightly raise a person’s risk of being hospitalized for a stroke and from dying of any cause. The noise may boost stress hormone levels, which can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.
During a bout of atrial fibrillation, blood can stagnate and form clots, which can travel to the brain. An improved scoring system can help identify high stroke risk.
The side effects of some blood pressure medications can leave people dizzy or lightheaded. But these medications do not appear to increase the risk of falling among older people.
The buildup of cholesterol-laden plaque in the arteries that supply the kidneys can lead to atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.
People in certain minority groups in the United States face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than others.
Among older people, moderate drinking – one drink a day for women, two for men – may cause worrisome changes in the heart’s structure and function.
Exercise-related heart deaths are rare, accounting for just 5% of cases of sudden cardiac arrest (when the heart suddenly stops working).
My cardiologist told me to take clopidogrel for a year after I received a stent. Now the year is up. I haven?t had any bleeding problems. Should I keep taking it?
Hazy, hot, and humid weather puts extra stress on the heart, which has to work harder than usual to cool off the body. Higher temperatures also make air pollution worse, which also slightly raises the risk of a heart attack.