Category: heart-letter

A sugar-laden diet may raise the risk of heart disease, even in people who are not overweight.

A coronary artery spasm is a tightening of the muscles within the arteries of the heart. These spasms, also called Prinzmetal’s angina, briefly stop blood flow to the heart, triggering chest pain.

Unlike heart muscle weakness brought on by years of stress to the cardiovascular system, viral cardiomyopathy is a chance disease that develops from a routine viral illness.

Compared with meat eaters, people who followed a vegetarian diet had lower blood pressure.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement offers a minimally invasive way to replace a stiff, failing aortic valve.

Research using animal models shows that gene therapy may one day be used to stimulate damaged heart cells to regenerate after a heart attack.

Several large clinical trials have failed to show a benefit from drug therapy to raise HDL cholesterol. Lifestyle change such as increasing aerobic activity, losing weight, and avoiding trans fats may be most effective.

People who take blood pressure drugs known as ACE inhibitors should be aware of a rare side effect that causes the lips, tongue, and face to swell.

Many heart attacks that occur at an early age result from an inherited condition that leads to very high cholesterol levels.

Sick sinus syndrome is a set of heartbeat irregularities that can cause fainting, weakness, palpitations, and shortness of breath. Once diagnosed, the problem is easily treated with an implanted pacemaker.