Myocarditis is an inflammation of the middle layer of the heart. It may be caused by a virus, allergic reaction, or exposure to a toxin. Diagnosis is difficult because symptoms are not specific and may suggest other causes.
What can you tell me about coronary calcium scores and overall heart health? I have a high calcium score but normal cholesterol. I don’t smoke or have diabetes. My cardiologist thinks I should take a statin, but my internist disagrees. What should I do?
What can you tell me about the side effects of lithium? I’ve heard it causes thyroid and memory problems.
I’ve been taking a selenium pill every day to try to reduce my risk of prostate cancer. But now I’ve read that selenium can cause diabetes. My blood sugar has always been normal, but I’m concerned. Should I continue taking selenium?
I am 55. My cholesterol counts are normal, but my wife clipped an article about a study that found statin drugs prevent heart attacks even in people with normal cholesterol. My golfing partners all take cholesterol medication – should I join them?
People with atrial fibrillation benefit from aggressive blood pressure control, resulting in fewer deaths from stroke and other cardiovascular causes.
Having a home defibrillator was found to be no more useful at saving the life of someone in cardiac arrest than having family members trained in CPR.
Brief updates on a drug combination that may cause muscle damage, a blood test for rejection after a heart transplant, a possible link between retinopathy and heart disease, and running for heart health and longevity.
Brief updates on the benefit of the Maze procedure, St. John’s wort’s interference with statins, the safety of angioplasty performed through the radial artery, and the cardiac risks of newer antipsychotic drugs.
While attention to cholesterol has largely focused on lowering LDL through the use of statins, raising HDL is equally important, if not more so. Niacin boosts HDL, but its side effects can be tricky, so some people try exercise and dietary changes.