heart-letter
I am 86 years old and have high blood pressure and diabetes. My doctor ordered tests to check my carotid arteries. They showed that one was nearly 70% blocked. My doctor said I had to have surgery right away or I would have a stroke. Is she right?
Are there any cardiovascular benefits to donating blood? Is it like getting an oil change for your car, with the donation getting rid of old blood cells and the body making new ones?
I am an 82-year-old man with borderline leakage in my mitral valve. What symptoms or tests would help me and others recognize when it is time to consider having the valve fixed?
I have been arguing with a friend about whether the statin drugs lower blood pressure. Do they, or don’t they?
I like sports, and now that I am in my 60s and have had some trouble with my heart, I mainly enjoy them on television. My family sees how excited I sometimes get watching a game and they worry that it is bad for my heart. Can you tell them to relax?
After a heart attack my doctor put me on amiodarone. Three years ago, I started cutting back on it because of side effects. My latest electrocardiogram showed no signs of tachycardia, and my doctor wants me to stop taking amiodarone. What should I do?
Why is heart disease still on the rise despite the incredible increase in the number of people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs and the more than 30 years of “low-fat” propaganda?
Updated guidelines for using bypass surgery or angioplasty to treat blocked cardiac arteries emphasize collaboration between these treatment groups.
In a very small study, stem cells from heart tissue helped boost pumping power in the hearts of heart attack survivors.
Treating atrial fibrillation with ablation may improve kidney function as well.