Heart Disease Archive

Some older adults feel cold frequently. This may result from age-related physical changes or an underlying condition. Examples of underlying conditions that might make a person feel cold include anemia, an underactive thyroid, diabetic neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, or Raynaud's phenomenon. People who experience coldness that interferes with their daily activities or sleep should talk to a doctor about it.

Periodontal disease, the leading cause of adult tooth loss, may increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.

A buildup of fat inside the liver, known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects about 25% of adults. This under-recognized condition is closely linked to obesity (especially excess weight around the middle of the body), type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. People with NAFLD can slow or even reverse the condition with the same lifestyle strategies that improve cardiovascular health: losing weight, adopting a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.

American adults consume an average of 77 grams (almost 20 teaspoons) of sugar per day. A little extra sugar may seem harmless, but the amounts can add up and, over time, contribute to a variety of health issues, like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Avoiding high-sugar foods by reading labels and cutting out sugar-sweetened beverages are the best ways to lower intake of added sugar.

The increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes among Americans has led to an increase in fatty liver disease. Weight loss and exercise are the mainstays of treatment.

For people who have risk factors for heart disease, it's important to make lifestyle changes like losing weight, getting more exercise, and eating a healthier diet. Longstanding habits are hard to change, but managing the challenge of healthy eating is easier if people have a partner who is supportive and involved in making food choices.

People who get migraines with aura have a slightly higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular disease than people who get migraines without aura or no migraines. But migraines are most common in younger women, whose baseline risk of cardiovascular problems is very low in the first place. Still, those who get migraine with aura should be sure to tell their primary care provider or gynecologist. Taking estrogen-containing birth control pills or hormone therapy may further raise stroke risk in these women.