Heart Health Archive

Stick to fresh foods, and fill your salt allotment from healthy sources like whole-grain breads.

 Image: Michael Carroll Photography

As we reported in August 2016, the FDA is encouraging the food industry to cut back on added sodium in commercially processed and prepared food. It's a good reminder for all of us that too much salt in the diet is risky for health. How much is too much? "It's controversial, although I don't think anyone is in favor of unlimited salt intake," says Dr. Randall Zusman, a cardiologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Salt risks

Common sources of sodium

A range of choices may help you get a better night's sleep.

Image: Courtsey of Carpenter Co.

When the doctor says you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you'll likely hear about the gold standard in treatment: continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which uses forced air, pushed through a tube connected to a face mask, to keep your airway unblocked. Yet many people have trouble adjusting to a bulky CPAP mask. "We often see people who say they tried CPAP and didn't like it, and now it's been years since they've had treatment," says Dr. Stuart Quan, the Gerald E. McGinnis professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.

You may be able to adjust to CPAP by trying relaxation exercises, practicing wearing the mask during the day, and gradually increasing CPAP pressure. But if it doesn't work out, you do have alternatives.

A scientific advisory published online in Circulation Aug. 15, 2016, suggests that sedentary behavior may be putting people at risk for chronic disease and early death. 

Poor blood flow in the brain can chip away at thinking skills.

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Just like in the rest of your body, advancing years can take a toll on your brain function. Much of this slowing down is predictable and can be chalked up to normal aging. However, when thinking skills become increasingly fuzzy and forgetfulness gets to be a way of life, an early form of dementia known as mild cognitive impairment may be setting in (see "Normal aging vs. mild cognitive impairment").

Often, the first reaction is to attribute these changes to the beginning of Alzheimer's disease. But blood flow problems may be to blame, as well. "An estimated one-third of all cases of dementia, including those identified as Alzheimer's, can be attributed to vascular factors," says Dr. Albert Hofman, chair of the department of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

An app that detects an irregular heart rhythm could be reassuring for people worried about afib.

 Image: Prykhodov /Thinkstock

Just over two years ago, the FDA approved the AliveCor Heart Monitor, which consists of a smartphone app plus a phone case with special sensors on the back. Touching the sensors with your fingers allows you to see a simple version of your heart's electrical activity on the phone screen. In the latest version, called Kardia, the sensors just need to be near (not necessarily on) your phone. The readout reveals if your heart rhythm looks normal or if you appear to have atrial fibrillation (afib)—a rapid, irregular heart rhythm that raises the risk of stroke.

Currently, several new smartphone apps to alert you about possible afib using just the phone itself—no special case required—are under development. Recent research suggests they're about as accurate as the Kardia system, although they haven't yet been cleared by the FDA and aren't on the market. If and when they are, could these apps help improve afib screening?

A healthy diet is the best way to make sure you're getting enough of this essential element.

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Magnesium probably isn't a mineral that comes to mind when you think about heart health. But a recent report showing that magnesium supplements may modestly lower blood pressure may have left some people wondering if they should head to Whole Foods to buy a bottle of magnesium pills.

"That's what I'm worried about," says cardiologist Dr. Elliott Antman, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The reason? There's far stronger evidence that consuming less sodium will help improve your blood pressure. "I don't want people to think they can stop paying attention to how much salt they're eating if they're taking a magnesium supplement," he says.

Using warfarin effectively is challenging—perhaps even more so than doctors have realized.

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For more than 60 years, warfarin has been a mainstay for people with atrial fibrillation. Used properly, warfarin may prevent as many as 60% of strokes related to this common heart rhythm disorder each year. But warfarin is notoriously tricky to manage because blood levels have to be kept within a narrow range to avoid side effects such as unwanted bleeding.

As a result, warfarin users must get frequent blood tests (see "What is an INR?") when they start the drug to fine-tune their dose. Once their INR values are consistently in the right range, most people scale back to testing every month or so. But a recent study suggests that people who take warfarin need to stay extra vigilant over the long term.

People who follow a “social-business” eating pattern (marked by frequent snacking and restaurant meals featuring meat, sugary drinks, and alcohol) may be more likely to develop early signs of heart disease than people with healthier diets. 

People whose parents live to age 70 and older are less likely to have cardiovascular problems in late middle age and less likely to die at an early age. 

People who develop asthma as adults may have a higher risk of developing heart disease than those without asthma. Adult-onset asthma is often triggered by air pollution and tends to be harder to control than asthma that starts during childhood.