heart-letter
Using a newly developed cardiac MRI technique, Harvard researchers found that obese teens’ hearts already are undergoing changes that if left untreated will lead to irreversible heart damage and ultimate heart failure.
Vitamin E was once recommended by doctors to prevent heart attacks, but the studies supporting that advice are contradicted by newer and better research. Vitamin E supplements are no longer recommended for prevention of either heart disease or cancer.
When blood pressure is normal measured at home but high when taken at the doctor’s office, that indicates “white-coat hypertension.” Undergoing 24-hour blood pressure monitoring may help make a correct diagnosis.
A cardiac rehabilitation center is a lot more than a gym. After a major heart event-or even before one happens-cardiac rehab is proven to decrease cardiac risk factors. Get it if your doctor advises it; ask about it if your doctor doesn’t.
Pacemaker implantation does carry higher risks of complications and death for people over age 90 compared with those in their 70s-but the benefits may be well worth the risks.
A bioengineered collagen patch allows the heart to do something it can’t do by itself: regenerate heart muscle killed by a heart attack. It works in mouse studies, and may in the future be used to deliver stem cells or medicines directly to the heart.
A heart-healthy plan for holiday meals includes snacking before the meal to reduce hunger, limiting appetizers, savoring each bite, and staying active.
A stiff, poorly working aortic valve is a life-threatening condition. Open-heart surgery to replace the aortic valve is the gold standard. For some individuals less invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement is an appropriate option.
Studies suggest that blood pressure-lowering drugs may do more than treat hypertension-they may also delay or prevent dementia. This isn’t yet proven, but maintaining a healthy blood pressure and reducing other heart risks likely lowers dementia risk.
People who eat more than two servings of fruit each day have a 25% lower risk of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and a 43% lower risk of having a ruptured AAA than people who eat the least fruit, a Swedish study suggests.