
5 timeless habits for better health

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Is your breakfast cereal healthy?

When pain signals an emergency: Symptoms you should never ignore

Does exercise give you energy?

Acupuncture for pain relief: How it works and what to expect

How to avoid jet lag: Tips for staying alert when you travel

Biofeedback therapy: How it works and how it can help relieve pain

Best vitamins and minerals for energy

Should you take probiotics with antibiotics?
Heart Disease Archive
Articles
Three times as many people have atrial fibrillation than previously known
According to a 2024 study, the rapid, irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation is three times more prevalent than previously thought, and now affects an estimated 10.5 million Americans.
Tracking your afib with a smart watch? Avoid this pitfall
People with atrial fibrillation (afib) who own a smart watch capable of detecting the heart rhythm disorder may use it to track the frequency and duration of their bouts of afib. The information might help inform their physician's advice. However, afib notifications may cause people to become anxious and preoccupied with tracking their condition. For them, disabling the notifications may be a good idea.
Is snow shoveling safe for people with heart disease?
Snow shoveling can be risky for people with heart disease because (1) the activity requires a lot of physical effort, and (2) cold temperatures constrict arteries. Both factors can raise the risk of a heart attack in people with narrowed heart arteries.
The hidden dangers of prediabetes
About 98 million Americans have prediabetes, in which the average amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. While people with prediabetes want to avoid getting diabetes, prediabetes can be dangerous on its own, as it increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and fatty liver disease. Controlling blood pressure, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, and managing glucose levels with weight loss, exercise, and diet offers protection against diabetes and these conditions.
Psychological factors can improve heart disease risk calculations
An online tool to predict heart disease risk might be more accurate if it included a psychological health assessment. Including depression screening results appears to strengthen the tool's ability to predict heart disease deaths.
Eating more plant-based fat may help your heart
Over a 24-year span, people whose diets favored plant-based fat lived longer than people who ate more animal-based fat, according to a 2024 study. The same distinction appeared specifically for deaths from heart disease.
Fixing a leaky tricuspid valve
In 2024, the FDA approved two catheter-based devices for treating a leaky tricuspid valve. Both relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for people with moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation, which affects about 4% of people ages 75 and older. One device is a modification of a system to treat mitral valve regurgitation that works by bringing the valve leaflets together at the areas of most severe leakage. The other device delivers a new valve made of cow heart tissue, which is commonly used in surgical valve replacements.
Calcium and heart disease: What's the connection?
People sometimes wonder if the calcium they consume affects their calcium score, a test that measures calcium in the heart's arteries to predict heart disease risk. But a 2024 study linked higher calcium intake to a lower risk of heart calcifications. Calcium helps lower blood pressure, possibly by improving the function of the lining of blood vessels. Older adults should make sure they're getting the recommended amount of calcium in their diets. Good sources include dairy products, tofu made with calcium sulfate, almond or oat milk, canned sardines or salmon, collard greens, and kale.
Gratitude linked to longer life and fewer heart-related deaths
A 2024 study suggests that older women with higher scores on tests to assess gratitude may live longer than those with lower scores. Most of this benefit seems to come from preventing deaths from heart disease.
Cutting meat intake by a third could reduce rates of heart disease
A 2024 report suggests that rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and colon cancer would fall substantially if people ate less red and processed meat.

5 timeless habits for better health

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Is your breakfast cereal healthy?

When pain signals an emergency: Symptoms you should never ignore

Does exercise give you energy?

Acupuncture for pain relief: How it works and what to expect

How to avoid jet lag: Tips for staying alert when you travel

Biofeedback therapy: How it works and how it can help relieve pain

Best vitamins and minerals for energy

Should you take probiotics with antibiotics?
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