Heart Disease Archive

People with very high calcium scores (over 1,000) have a risk of heart attack or stroke similar to those who have already had a heart attack. They should take cholesterol-lowering drugs to bring down LDL levels and possibly undergo additional testing.

Direct-to-consumer genetic tests can screen for rare heart conditions that arise from variants in a single gene (such as cardiomyopathies) as well as common conditions influenced by many thousands of gene variants (such as coronary artery disease). But because the results are not definitive, they can be challenging to interpret.

Since its introduction in 1998, catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation has greatly improved, thanks to advances in the instruments, imaging techniques, and energy sources used during the procedure. The resulting increases in safety and effectiveness have transformed ablation into a routine procedure. For many people newly diagnosed with this heart rhythm disorder, ablation is now the first treatment offered.

For people with a family history of early heart disease, getting a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan plus intensive coaching and a statin may help limit the progression of the plaque in their arteries, according to a 2025 study.

A 2025 research review suggested that women with certain gynecological disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, heavy periods, and irregular menstrual cycles, have higher risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.

About one in every 20 people over age 65 has a stiff, narrowed aortic valve. A Harvard physician describes his experience with this condition, called aortic stenosis, from the heart murmur detected at age 66 to his open-heart surgery a decade later. After his diagnosis, he received echocardiograms every one to two years to check the valve, and later a stress echocardiogram. Because the echocardiogram revealed an aortic aneurysm, he had open-heart surgery so the surgeon could repair the valve and the aneurysm during the same operation.

A 2025 study found that a new type of medication may safely slow the progression of aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve) and delay the need for valve replacement.

TV medical dramas often portray treatments for heart attacks and cardiac arrest. While the timelines are often accelerated and certain aspects may be dramatized to engage viewers, the medical details are, for the most part, factual and authentic. Writers and producers routinely rely on health care experts - including Harvard doctors - to make sure the information is accurate. For people with heart disease, seeing how emergency physicians treat urgent conditions may show them what to expect.