The healthier your heart and arteries, the less you need aspirin.

If you are having a heart attack, chewing a full-strength aspirin tablet can be a lifesaving move. If you have heart disease, have had a heart attack or stroke, or are at very high risk for having one, taking a low-dose aspirin every day is part of a proven strategy for preventing one of these life-changers. But what if you are relatively healthy? Will taking aspirin help you keep heart attack, stroke, and other forms of cardiovascular disease at bay?

If taking aspirin was 100% beneficial, it would make ...

Many people who could benefit from spironolactone aren’t getting it.

In 1999, a large clinical trial showed that a drug called spironolactone (spih-row-noe-LACK-tone) could improve symptoms and lengthen life in some people with heart failure. More than 10 years later, only a minority of those who could benefit from the drug are taking it, even though it is inexpensive and guidelines for treating heart failure recommend its use.

To get a handle on the use of spironolactone (sold as generic spironolactone or as brand-name Aldactone), a national team of researchers reviewed medical records of 12,565 men and women with heart ...

Blood vessel spasms can make the cold a painful experience.

In 1862, Maurice Raynaud wrote about 25 patients who developed “pale, cold fingers” in response to cold temperatures. The paleness later gave way to a bluish, then a mottled red color. The young physician believed that a nerve problem was the cause.

We now know that the changes come from a sudden spasm of blood vessels. Cold and stress normally narrow small blood vessels in the skin. This redirects blood flow away from the extremities and toward the internal organs. It’s a way to conserve heat and prevent excessive blood ...

Traditional open-heart surgery with a heart-lung machine is still the gold standard.

Innovation doesn’t always mean improvement.

That’s the lesson we’re learning about off-pump bypass surgery. This so-called beating heart surgery was developed in the 1990s as a novel way to reroute blood flow around cholesterol-clogged coronary arteries. But it hasn’t replaced the original version, in which the heart is stopped and a machine pumps blood around the body. In fact, a major study suggests that off-pump bypass surgery doesn’t quite measure up to the traditional operation.

Different approaches A vast network of arteries delivers oxygen and nourishment to the ...

Eating frozen fruits and vegetables is a good way to boost the nutritional value of your diet when fresh local produce is not available.

The FDA has warned doctors that certain stomach-protecting medications may interfere with the clot-blocking drug Plavix.

Researchers claim that only 8% of Americans are healthy enough to remain free of cardiovascular disease without the assistance of a medication.

  My last echocardiogram showed mild diastolic dysfunction. What does that mean?  

  I have had CT scans of my coronary arteries as part of several annual physicals. They show my arteries have a lot of calcium — I am now in the 89th percentile for calcium scores. My stress tests and echocardiograms are normal, so are my blood pressure and cholesterol, and I feel fine. Should I have an angiogram to confirm the calcification?   Read More »

  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. I think they are going overboard. Can you tell them to relax so I can enjoy the Super Bowl in peace?  

Lately when I climb the stairs or get really stressed, my jaw starts hurting. Is that just an oddity or something I should worry about?