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Heart Health Archive

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Atrial fibrillation symptoms: Why they're easy to miss

Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include a fluttering, pounding sensation in the chest and a lightheaded, dizzy, or breathless feeling. But about a quarter of people with this disorder don’t notice any symptoms.

Treating peripheral artery disease: When might you need a procedure?

A small percentage of people with peripheral artery disease develop symptoms so severe they need a procedure to restore blood flow to their legs and feet. Options include angioplasty with a stent, endarterectomy, or peripheral artery bypass surgery.

Exercising with low blood pressure: Advice and precautions

People with low blood pressure, which is defined as consistently having a reading lower than 90/60 mm Hg, sometimes feel dizzy or lightheaded during or after exercise. But modifying your exercise routine and taking simple precautions can help.

Should you take low-dose aspirin?

Daily low-dose aspirin can lower the risk of a second heart attack in people who’ve already had one. For people without a history of heart attack, the risk of dangerous bleeding usually outweighs any potential heart-related benefit from taking low-dose aspirin.

Could your heartburn medicine interfere with Plavix?

A common heartburn treatment may interact with an important heart medicine. Find out what to watch for and which options doctors may consider instead.

Harvard study: Early sweet-drink habits tied to high blood pressure later in life

A major study linked high intake of sugary drinks like soda, fruit juices, and sports drinks during teen years and early adulthood with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure in middle age. Replacing sweet drinks with water, milk, or whole fruit may help offset some of those risks.

Erectile dysfunction: Is it a sign of hidden health problems?

Doctors increasingly view erectile dysfunction as a potential early warning sign rather than just a sexual health issue. Research shows persistent erectile dysfunction is often tied to cardiovascular disease, and the two conditions share an array of risk factors.

Newly approved pill cuts LDL cholesterol levels by more than half

In July 2026, the FDA approved enlicitide (Lipfendra), a pill that lowers harmful LDL cholesterol by nearly 60%. It is the first pill version of a class of injectable LDL-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors.

Senator's death calls attention to aortic dissection

An aortic dissection, a tear in the body’s largest artery, typically causes sudden, severe pain in the chest, back, or abdomen. This uncommon condition is most likely to occur in people with a thoracic aortic aneurysm, a bulge in the section of the aorta closest to the heart.

Do thyroid conditions cause high blood pressure?

Thyroid issues and blood pressure may be connected in more than one way. See how symptoms, lab results and treatment can affect your readings.

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