Heart Health Archive

Varicose veins are not just unsightly and uncomfortable; they can also be harbingers of more serious conditions, including deep-vein blood clots and venous ulcers. Ablation therapies to eradicate varicose veins can lower these risks. People can also try simple strategies to prevent and improve varicose veins, including doing exercises that work their calf muscles, elevating their legs, and wearing compression stockings.

Using tobacco in cigars, pipes, or smokeless products such as snuff is associated with distinct heart-related risks.

Statins are among the most-prescribed drugs in the United States, but some people are concerned about side effects. Lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise can help lower cholesterol enough to take a statin break

Intensive blood pressure control that lowers systolic blood pressure (the first number in a reading) below 120 points may lower the risk of cognitive impairment or probable dementia.

In a 2024 study, people with a habit of eating dark chocolate-about an ounce a day-were less likely to develop diabetes compared to those who didn't consume it.

High levels of Lp(a)-a fatty particle similar to LDL cholesterol-may double or triple a person's risk of a heart attack. About one in five adults may have elevated levels, which also raises the risk of stroke and aortic stenosis. Unlike LDL, which rises with age and is influenced by diet and exercise, Lp(a) remains largely constant over a person's lifetime, so a one-time test suffices for screening. Lp(a) testing is becoming more common now that five promising new Lp(a) therapies are in development.