Beef tallow, seed oils, and full-fat dairy: Are any of them heart-healthy?
Cardiac amyloidosis: Better detection and new treatments
Lose more weight and protect your heart by pairing exercise with eating fewer calories
American Cancer Society expands testing recommendations for colorectal cancer screening
Heart risks from cannabis remain hazy but warrant caution
Harvard study links ultra-processed foods to higher rates of cognitive decline, dementia
A guide to the DASH diet
Calorie deficit explained: Is it a safe, sustainable approach to weight loss?
Prediabetes diet: How to help prevent progression to diabetes
COPD symptoms: How to spot them early
Blood Pressure Archive
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American Heart Association issues statement on cardiovascular side effects from hormonal therapy for prostate cancer
Excess weight linked with worse heart health even if you exercise
In the journals
Can you be "fat and fit" — that is, overweight but still healthy because of regular exercise? There is no simple answer. But one study says that activity does not entirely reverse the effects weight has on heart health. The findings were published online Jan. 26, 2021, by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
The study involved more than 527,000 adults, almost 70% of whom were men. People were placed into three groups based on their body mass index (BMI): normal, overweight, and obese. They also were grouped by activity level: regularly active (the minimum requirement from the World Health Organization, or WHO); insufficiently active (less than the WHO minimum, but some moderate to vigorous physical activity every week), and no exercise.
Can you avoid macular degeneration?
You have the power to reduce certain risk factors for the disease.
We've come a long way in our understanding and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss for people ages 50 or older in the United States. We've learned that certain genes and lifestyle factors increase the risk for developing AMD, and discovered treatments that often slow the disease's progression.
Yet for all our advances, we still don't have a guaranteed way to prevent AMD. You are at greater risk if one of your parents had the condition. "One needs to be concerned, but it doesn't mean you're destined to get it. It's a complex disease, and it takes a combination of factors for it to develop," says Dr. Joan W. Miller, chief of ophthalmology at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear and ophthalmology chair at Harvard Medical School.
Blood pressure checks: Both sides now?
Research we're watching
A difference in the blood pressure readings from the left and right arms may herald a higher risk of heart disease, according to an analysis of 24 international studies.
The report, published in the February 2021 issue of Hypertension, included data from more than 57,000 adults in general health clinics who had their blood pressure measured in both arms. Researchers tracked the participants' cardiovascular health for more than a decade.
Which blood pressure number matters most?
Ask the doctor
Q. My doctor told me I should get a home monitor to keep tabs on my blood pressure. Which number is most important in the reading, the top or the bottom one?
A. This question comes up often, perhaps because doctors and patients alike tend to pay more attention to the top (first) number, known as systolic pressure. It reflects the amount of pressure inside the arteries as the heart contracts. The bottom (second) number, diastolic pressure, is always lower since it reflects the pressure inside the arteries during the resting phase between heartbeats.
Arm yourself to get better blood pressure readings
In the journals
Blood pressure readings are usually done on only one arm, but a new analysis makes the case for checking both arms, as the difference between them may suggest an elevated risk for heart disease. The findings were published in the February 2021 issue of Hypertension.
Researchers examined 24 studies that measured blood pressure in both arms in 53,827 adults without high blood pressure. They found that a difference of more than five points between the left and right arm systolic readings (the top number) was linked with a 9% higher risk for a first-time heart attack or stroke and a 6% increase in cardiovascular death within 10 years. The greater the difference between the two readings, the higher the risk.
After standing, a fall in blood pressure
Known as orthostatic hypotension, this condition can leave people dizzy and lightheaded. For some, it may also be a harbinger of heart disease.
Have you ever felt a bit woozy just after standing up? When you transition from sitting to standing, gravity causes blood to pool in your legs. Sometimes — especially if you're dehydrated or overheated — it takes your body a moment to push blood upward, causing a brief delay in blood flow to the brain.
For most people, this phenomenon occurs just once in a while and usually isn't a serious problem. But age, some medications, and certain medical conditions can interfere with the body's normal mechanism for regulating blood pressure (see "Responding to pressure: The role of baroreceptors"). If that happens, your blood pressure may drop dramatically when you stand up. Known as orthostatic hypotension (OH), the problem affects about 5% of people younger than 50. But up to 20% of people ages 70 and older may have OH.
Beef tallow, seed oils, and full-fat dairy: Are any of them heart-healthy?
Cardiac amyloidosis: Better detection and new treatments
Lose more weight and protect your heart by pairing exercise with eating fewer calories
American Cancer Society expands testing recommendations for colorectal cancer screening
Heart risks from cannabis remain hazy but warrant caution
Harvard study links ultra-processed foods to higher rates of cognitive decline, dementia
A guide to the DASH diet
Calorie deficit explained: Is it a safe, sustainable approach to weight loss?
Prediabetes diet: How to help prevent progression to diabetes
COPD symptoms: How to spot them early
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