Heart Disease Archive

For some people, the effects of the influenza (flu) virus can lead to a heart attack or cardiac arrest (sudden death). These people typically have reduced blood flow to the heart due to atherosclerosis (narrowed arteries). Because the flu can cause blood oxygen levels to drop to dangerously low levels, it can further reduce the supply of oxygen to the heart, causing a heart attack or cardiac arrest. Fortunately, getting an annual flu shot is associated with reduced risks of a heart attack and related cardiac events.

An estimated two million people in the United States with cardiovascular disease currently use or have used marijuana. Converging (yet limited) evidence suggests the drug may be harmful to the heart. Marijuana can cause the heart to beat faster and blood pressure to rise. Heart attack risk also appears to rise in the hour after smoking marijuana, and the drug has also been linked to an increased likelihood of atrial fibrillation and stroke.

Most people with heart failure (or those at high risk for it) need several medications to treat their symptoms. New guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association have added another drug class to the treatment list: a group of diabetes drugs called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors. SGLT-2 inhibitors offer multiple benefits, such as helping to reduce swelling, lowering high blood pressure, assisting with weight loss, reducing complications associated with heart failure, and preventing hospitalization.

A randomized trial published May 14, 2022, in The Lancet found that people with heart disease who ate a Mediterranean diet for seven years had a 26% lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke, compared with people who ate a low-fat diet.

For people with heart disease, a Mediterranean diet prevents future heart problems better than a low-fat diet.

Grief, fear, conflict, or other negative emotions can lead to an unusual type of heart attack, commonly known as broken heart syndrome. Rarely, positive emotions can also trigger the problem—and this "happy heart syndrome" may be more prevalent among men.

Seven factors appear to account for most first heart attacks in people ages 55 and younger: diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, current smoking, family history of early heart attack, low household income, and high cholesterol.

Machine learning, a key aspect of artificial intelligence (AI), may improve the diagnosis of heart disease by analyzing large amounts of data from chest CT scans, echocardiograms, and electrocardiograms. By recognizing patterns, the machine "learns" and becomes more accurate over time. Current projects include diagnosing coronary artery disease with stress echocardiography and detecting multiple heart rhythm disorders from electrocardiograms in different formats and layouts.

A backyard barbeque can be a good way for people to include more vegetables in their evening meal. Good choices include whole portabella mushroom caps, asparagus, sweet peppers, onions, and zucchini.

Electrical cardioversion is a procedure that uses low-energy shocks to convert a rapid or irregular heartbeat back to a normal rhythm. People remain asleep during the brief procedure, so they don't feel anything.