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Heart Attack Archive

Diseases & Conditions

Do older adults benefit from blood pressure treatment?

Published February 1, 2022

A study published online Aug. 26, 2021, by The Lancet found that blood pressure treatment protects against heart attacks, strokes, and other major cardiovascular disease problems in people up to age 85 and possibly older. For people younger than 75, the study confirmed that people taking blood pressure medicines had 10% to 20% fewer cardiovascular disease problems. For people 75 to 84, there still was a 10% reduction. For people older than 85, the results were mixed, but there still appeared to be a benefit from blood pressure treatment.

Heart Health

How stimulants may affect your heart

Published February 1, 2022

Stimulant medications, which are usually prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder in children, are being prescribed increasingly to older adults. These drugs may cause a short-term spike in the risk of heart-related problems, including heart attacks, strokes, and arrhythmias. Dietary supplements that promise weight loss or better physical or mental performance may contain prohibited, unlisted, and potentially dangerous stimulants.

Heart Health

Is broken heart syndrome becoming more common?

Published February 1, 2022

Broken heart syndrome—an uncommon condition linked to severe emotional or physical stress that occurs mostly in women—may be more common than previously thought. The increase in diagnoses may reflect heightened awareness of all forms of heart disease in women. The condition may result from the surge of adrenaline that affects the heart’s muscle cells and blood vessels, causing the heart’s left ventricle to temporarily change shape. The heart resembles a Japanese clay pot used to trap an octopus, called a tako-tsubo, which is why broken heart syndrome was originally dubbed takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Heart Health

When the doctor becomes the patient: A transformative experience

Published January 26, 2022

A doctor's serious health threat prompts reflection on the power of spirituality, the value of mindfulness practice, and acknowledgment of mortality as a motivator to reassess one's priorities.

Staying Healthy

Treating low vitamin D levels may help people live longer

Published January 1, 2022

Treating people who have low levels of vitamin D with supplements may reduce their risk for heart attacks and death from any cause.

Exercise & Fitness

Exercise may heal the heart as well as prevent future problems

Published January 1, 2022

Exercise may help to reverse some types of heart damage. Not only can workouts prevent heart problems, but it may help to improve conditions that may raise risk for cardiovascular events. A 2021 study, for example, showed that a yearlong exercise program helped improve heart health in people who were at increased risk for heart failure.

Heart Health

Low-dose aspirin: Little benefit for people without prior heart attack

Published January 1, 2022

A draft guideline from a national panel of experts recommends that people without heart disease who are 60 and older should not take low-dose aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke.

Heart Health

Gum disease and heart health: Probing the link

Published January 1, 2022

About two-thirds of people over 65 have periodontal disease, which is linked to a higher risk of heart disease. Shared risk factors such as smoking and an unhealthy diet may explain the association, but bacteria and inflammation could be a common thread. The bacteria responsible for periodontal disease can travel to blood vessels throughout the body and have been found in the fatty debris (atherosclerosis) that clogs arteries located far from the mouth—and in blood clots from people who have experienced heart attacks.

Heart Health

What’s the best blood pressure target for older adults?

Published January 1, 2022

For people over 60, aiming for a blood pressure target below 130/80 mm Hg may prevent more cardiovascular problems than aiming for the higher target suggested by some physicians. Some feared that the more intensive treatment required to reach the lower target might cause more adverse side effects (such as dizziness and falls) in older people. But side effects do not appear to differ among people taking intensive versus standard therapy.

Heart Health

Salt substitute associated with lower rates of stroke, death

Published January 1, 2022

A large study published online Aug. 29, 2021, by The New England Journal of Medicine found that people who used a salt substitute on their food had a lower risk of stroke, heart attack, and early death, compared with people who used regular salt.

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Recent Blog Articles

CAR-T immunotherapy for prostate cancer?

Boosting your child's immune system

Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives

The popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters is soaring, but are they safe?

Helping children make friends: What parents can do

Want to stop harmful drinking? AA versus SMART Recovery

Mpox is back: What to know and do

How well do you score on brain health?

When should your teen or tween start using skin products?

How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals

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