You, too, can be a star where it counts — in the heart.

The American Heart Association wants you to be part of a new reality production. It's not a TV show, mind you, but real life. You don't need to sing or dance or be flamboyant. Just follow the association's seven steps (see "The Simple 7") and you can be one of its American Ideals. That earns you a chance at something better than a trip to Hollywood and fleeting fame: a life free from heart disease or stroke, the leading causes of death and disability in America today. ...

The treadmill test can reveal hidden problems in the heart.

One way to judge the health of the heart and the arteries that supply it with oxygen and nutrients is to make them work harder. That's the principle behind one of the most commonly used tests in cardiology, the exercise stress test (also known as the exercise tolerance test, treadmill test, or just the stress test). It's much the same thing a mechanic does when he or she races a car's engine.

Why it is done Exercise stress tests are done for a variety of reasons. The most common one ...

Following a self-care plan can keep you healthy and out of the hospital.

If you are one of the six million Americans living with heart failure, or if you are caring for someone with it, you know that managing heart failure goes far beyond taking a pill every day. It requires a coordinated approach to everything from taking medications to weighing yourself daily.

Your doctor can help, but face it — you are with him or her for only a few minutes a month. You're on your own 99.9% of the time, making big and small decisions about what to ...

Heart attacks are much less deadly than they used to be, primarily due to advances in knowledge and understanding of the underlying cause of heart attacks, and to the prevalence of specialized coronary care units.

The steps that should be taken to prevent dementia are also likely to help protect the heart and the rest of the body.

The VITAL study hopes to determine whether taking vitamin D and omega-3 fats have an effect on rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other illnesses, and whether high dosages of these supplements are safe.

Brief reports on the potential risks of a certain diet drug, cutting salt intake, the effect of bronchitis and emphysema on the heart, and fish oil and longevity.

  I am 95 years old and recently began treatment for early macular degeneration in one eye. My retinologist said that PreserVision might help protect the other eye. But she cautioned that it contains a large dose of vitamin E, which could cause a bleeding problem with the Coumadin I take because of a mechanical aortic valve. What would you suggest?  

I have allergies. Could they be the reason I have high blood pressure?

Q. Some friends invited me to accompany them to Rocky Mountain National Park. I would love to go, but I have high blood pressure and worry that high altitudes are dangerous for people with this condition. Is that the case?

A. If you have high blood pressure but are otherwise healthy, your blood pressure is under control, and you take some precautions, a trip to the Rocky Mountains should be fine.

The higher you travel, the less oxygen you take in with each breath. The body responds by increasing the heart rate and the amount of blood pumped with each ...