The physical act of taking most medications is simple: pop a pill in your mouth, and gulp it down with water. But people often don't take their medications when and how they should. Cost is one barrier, of course. So are complicated dosing regimens, side effects, and medication pick-up hassles.

Not taking medications as prescribed — what doctors call nonadherence — has profound personal, public health, and economic consequences (see "Striking statistics"). You and your doctor play important roles in remedying the problem.

Striking statistics 40% to 50% — Rate at which people don't take medications as prescribed for chronic ...

To switch or not is a decision for you and your doctor to make.

Warfarin's long reign as the drug for preventing stroke in people with atrial fibrillation is being challenged by the second new blood thinner to come on the market within the span of less than a year.

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) prevents blood clots — and the strokes arising from them — by blocking formation of thrombin, a protein that forms a netlike trap for red blood cells. Warfarin (Coumadin, generic) does its job by blocking the liver's production of clot-promoting proteins.

The relationship between strokes and atrial fibrillation, ...

Seek help from a heart team when considering your options.

Age and unhealthy habits can harm the aortic valve, a three-flapped structure that ensures the one-way flow of blood from the heart's main pumping chamber to the rest of the body. In some people, the aortic valve becomes encrusted with calcium deposits that stiffen and narrow it, restricting blood flow. When people with this condition (called aortic stenosis) start feeling symptoms — such as dizziness, breathlessness, fatigue, and loss of appetite — quality of life goes inexorably downhill unless the valve is replaced.

Until recently, replacing the aortic valve required ...

These high-tech devices can save — and change — a person's life.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) save many lives. They monitor the heart's rhythm and rate, emitting a low-energy electrical correction when they detect a minor heart rate abnormality. They can also deliver a more significant jolt, likened to a swift kick in the chest, to halt potentially life-threatening rhythm disruptions.

The earliest ICD success stories were in people whose hearts had suddenly stopped beating and were restarted. Later, use of the devices expanded to people who experienced dangerous rhythm abnormalities in the ventricles, the heart's main pumping chambers. Today, most ...

  A book by a Massachusetts General Hospital cardiologist presents a view of heart health that aims to merge its physical and emotional components.  

  Certain genetic variations increase a person risk of heart disease, but eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits can counter this risk.  

  People who receive stents may be susceptible to clots for far longer than was previously believed.  

  Research suggests that people with psoriasis are more likely to experience some form of cardiovascular disease.  

  Analysis of clinical trials supports the belief that men with ED who treat their cardiovascular risk factors will also experience improved erectile function.  

My systolic blood pressure is high in the morning (about 165), but in the evening it drops to below 100. I am taking two blood pressure medications daily and still experiencing seriously low blood pressure at night. What would you suggest?

I am 76 years old and still get hot flashes. Is it true that women who have hot flashes many years after menopause are more likely to experience heart problems than those whose symptoms end early in menopause?