Heart Disease Archive

Beta blockers have long been standard treatment for people after a heart attack. New evidence suggests they may not help those whose hearts still pump normally, though the drugs remain important for heart attack survivors with reduced ejection fraction.

A 2025 study suggested that women are less likely to develop coronary artery disease even when engaging in less moderate-to-vigorous exercise than men.

Higher exposure to light at night between 12:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems including coronary artery disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart attack, and heart failure.

Reclining and lying down may be linked to worse cardiovascular health while short bouts of sitting or standing may reduce cardiovascular risk, according to a 2025 study.

A 2025 analysis suggests that far fewer people are considered candidates for low-dose aspirin to prevent heart disease with the updated PREVENT risk calculator compared with the older risk calculator.

A scan called retinal optical coherence tomography angiography, which provides detailed, three-dimensional images of blood vessels in the retina, may help identify people who should be screened for atherosclerosis, according to a 2025 study.

According to a 2025 study, women who walked at least 4,000 steps per day once or twice a week had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and early death compared with women who did not reach this threshold.

A 2025 study suggested that women with diabetes are nearly twice as likely as men to have hidden heart disease. These women might especially benefit from early screening for problems in the small blood vessels of the heart.

Many people with atrial fibrillation (afib) - a rapid, irregular heart rhythm - need to control symptoms, such as the feeling that the heart is racing or fluttering. Medication options include drugs that slow down the heart or help restore its rhythm. Because afib can also increase the risk of blood clots that can lead to a stroke, many of these people also need to take clot-preventing medications.