Heart Disease Archive

People whose parents live to age 70 and older are less likely to have cardiovascular problems in late middle age and less likely to die at an early age. 

People who develop asthma as adults may have a higher risk of developing heart disease than those without asthma. Adult-onset asthma is often triggered by air pollution and tends to be harder to control than asthma that starts during childhood.

Research shows that lowering cholesterol using a variety of approaches–including medications and diet–can lower the chances of having a cardiovascular event, including a heart attack. For people at high risk for a heart attack, cholesterol-lowering statins are usually the first-line treatment. For people who can’t take statins, other drugs may help.

Strokes seem to come out of the blue. But most of them happen due to decades-long damage to blood vessels and growth of artery-clogging plaque. That raises the question: Is there an early warning test for stroke?

Yes and no. A test called the carotid ultrasound can detect the buildup of cholesterol-filled plaque in the carotid arteries in the neck. These arteries deliver blood to the brain. The test, which uses sound waves, is quick, safe, and without any immediate potential for harm. It makes perfect sense for someone experiencing lightheadedness, memory loss, or the warning signs of a stroke or mini-stroke.

A study questions whether CPAP helps to slow the progression of coronary artery disease in those who already have it, but use of the device has still been shown to have quality of life and other health benefits in those with sleep apnea.

Although theoretically multivitamins and chocolate might reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, proof is lacking. A new randomized trial called COSMOS will test whether multivitamin pills and cocoa pills have health benefits.

Minimize risks with simple solutions such as preventing overexertion and preparing for cold temperatures.

 Image: Bigstock

As temperatures start to fall, your risk of a heart attack begins to climb. "Cold weather sometimes creates a perfect storm of risk factors for cardiovascular problems," says Dr. Randall Zusman, a cardiologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Many of these risks stem from what Dr. Zusman calls a "mismatch between supply and demand." Cold weather can decrease the supply of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle. And it can put you in situations that force your heart to work harder; as a result, your heart demands more oxygen-rich blood. Such a mismatch-a smaller supply of oxygen to the heart coupled with a greater demand for oxygen by the heart-sets you up for a heart attack.

After an artery-opening angioplasty plus a stent, a person may need bypass surgery in the future. Likewise, some people who have bypass surgery may later need a stent. Neither procedure stops atherosclerosis, the disease that clogs heart arteries. 

Venous insufficiency, which happens when veins don’t work properly, can cause swelling, pain, and a sense of heaviness in the legs. Elevating the legs when sitting or lying down can help; so can support stockings.