Category: heart-letter

Smoking takes about 10 years off a lifespan. Quitting smoking at any age can replace some of those years.

Low magnesium levels can trigger the development of abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation. Proper magnesium levels can be restored by taking magnesium supplements or eliminating a cause such as excessive alcohol use.

Although digoxin is commonly used in atrial fibrillation, it can increase the risk of death and should be used only in very low doses and as a second rate-control drug when a safer drug is not adequate.

Varicose veins are not dangerous, but can cause legs to ache. Treatment options include compression stockings, lifestyle changes, surgical removal of the veins, and sealing them off from the circulation.

Researchers continue to try new ways to prevent stents from clogging with cells from the artery wall or from attracting blood clots. Their goal is to develop a stent that can be used in any person to prevent a heart attack.

Diabetes increases the risk of developing heart disease. Among people with diabetes, a variety of imaging tests can be used to estimate the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Serelaxin, a new drug derived from hormones that cause muscle relaxation, appears to reduce the symptoms of heart failure, organ damage from poor blood flow, and heart failure deaths.

Fatty blockages in the leg arteries can cause pain in the thigh or calf muscle that occurs when walking and disappears with rest.

Cardiologists lack evidence on how to treat older people with heart disease, who often take many medications and have other medical problems. This creates uncertainty about the risks versus the benefits of conventional treatments.

People with stable heart disease are at low risk for heart attack and may not need invasive treatment until significant chest pain is no longer relieved by medication.