Heart Attack Archive

Small, wireless skin patches may offer a convenient way to diagnose—or rule out—arrhythmias.

An abnormal heart rhythm—when your heartbeat is too slow, too fast, or irregular—may be a fleeting, harmless event. But it might be a sign of a more serious heart condition. If you have frequent palpitations (which feel like your heart is pounding, racing, or fluttering) or unexplained fainting spells, your doctor may recommend a Holter monitor. This portable electrocardiogram (ECG) machine records your heart rhythm over a day or two.

Eczema, an itchy, scaly skin disease that usually starts early in life, may make people more prone to heart disease and stroke, according to a study in the Jan. 8, 2015, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Researchers relied on data from more than 61,000 adults who took part in the 2010 and 2012 National Health Interview surveys. They found that people with eczema smoke and drink more and are less likely to exercise than people without the disease. (Sweating aggravates eczema, making exercise a challenge.) Other factors that boost heart disease risk—such as severe obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol—were also more prevalent among people with eczema. So were sleep disturbances, which were linked to even higher odds of having those risk factors.

Preventing stroke is the top priority if your heart is beating irregularly. A variety of options can control symptoms.

A flutter in the chest and a racing heartbeat could be just a passing cardiac blip, perhaps triggered by emotional stress or too much caffeine. But sometimes it's a sign of atrial fibrillation—the irregular quivering of the heart's upper chambers, or atria.

Q. I have a pacemaker and was told to never have an MRI scan. Is there any way around that?

A. In the past, people with pacemakers were told never to have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but in certain cases it may be safe.

Many men consider taking a daily low-dose aspirin to reduce the chance of having a heart attack or stroke. You should do so only if the chance of being helped outweighs the chance of triggering unwanted bleeding, since aspirin interferes with normal clotting. But about one in 10 men who take protective aspirin may not really qualify, according to a national study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Experts recommend that aspirin might be considered in someone whose chance of experiencing a cardiovascular problem is at least 6% in the next 10 years. At that tipping point, the chance of being helped is great enough to justify the risk of unwanted bleeding.

Q. I had chest pains for a couple of days and thought I was having a heart attack. My doctor did an electrocardiogram and said I had pericarditis and that it was not serious. What exactly is pericarditis?

A. Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, a protective, double-layered sac surrounding the heart. It has many different possible causes, including a virus or other infection, certain illnesses, an injury to the chest, radiation therapy for cancer, or a reaction to medications. Complications from bypass surgery or the insertion of a pacemaker are other possible triggers. But most of the time, the cause remains elusive.

Q. I take several medicines to get my blood pressure under control, and they seem to do the job. However, I get dizzy at times. Is there anything I can do, other than stopping my medications?

A. Many people occasionally feel dizzy if they stand up too quickly, and the older you get, the more likely this will happen. When you're lying down or sitting, less blood pressure is needed to send sufficient blood to the brain. But as you stand, the pressure must rise to deliver adequate amounts. If that doesn't happen fast enough, your brain can't function as well as it should, and you feel dizzy. Moving from a lying or seated position to a standing position more slowly usually helps if this is the underlying reason.

With its focus on body, mind, and breath, yoga shows promise for improving heart health.

Experts still advise getting regular blood lipid tests.

In late 2013, when the new national guidelines on managing cholesterol were released, many people wondered how the change would affect blood cholesterol testing. Also known as a lipid profile or lipid panel, the cholesterol test measures several different types of fats (lipids) in your bloodstream.

Apps that track and chart your blood pressure may be useful. But for now, avoid those that use the phone as a measuring tool.