Heart Disease Archive

Certain devices that use magnetic chargers may interfere with cardiac devices such as pacemakers. A doctor should advise people on which ones to avoid or to use caution when operating.

A test called a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan uses a special type of x-ray to look for plaque in the arteries of the heart, which raises the risk of heart-related problems. While CAC scans can be valuable for detecting people at higher risk of heart problems from plaque buildup, this test isn't right for everyone. It's typically most useful for people who don't yet have symptoms of heart disease, but who do have some risk factors. Determining how much plaque is in the arteries can help guide decision making about preventive strategies. The test is less useful for people at very low or very high risk for heart disease.

Many people still struggle with healthy eating, even though they know the basic guidelines to follow. This often is due to misperceptions that following a healthy diet is too difficult and too expensive. Making small changes in one's diet can help many people change their attitude about healthier eating and make it easier to embrace.

People who fall asleep between 10 and 11 p.m. may be less likely to develop heart disease than those who start their slumber earlier or later.

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.

Moderate-to-vigorous exercise appears to be the best way to boost cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), which quantifies how well the heart and lungs supply oxygen to the muscles during physical activity. Higher CRF during midlife is linked to a lower risk of conditions closely tied to heart disease (including early signs of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes) later in life.

Up to 7% of people ages 50 and older (mostly male smokers) have abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). In rare cases, these balloon-like pouches can expand and rupture with little warning, which can be life-threatening. Medicare covers screening tests for AAA for men ages 65 to 75 who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lives and for anyone with a family history of AAA.

Nitrates are added to processed meats (such as bacon, ham, and deli meats) and are found naturally in leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and kale). But it's not clear how crucial these molecules are compared with other components of those foods, as dietary nitrate levels don't appear to affect heart disease risk. However, nitrate-based drugs are used to treat angina, a common symptom of coronary artery disease.

A study published Nov. 16, 2021, in PLOS Medicine found that drinking two to three cups of coffee as well as two to three cups of tea per day was associated with substantially lower risks for dementia and stroke, compared with drinking no coffee or tea.

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.