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Heart Health Archive

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What is a normal heart rate?

Exercise can lower resting heart rate and raise maximum heart rate to reduce the risk of heart attack and death.

Take-home advice from the new cholesterol guidelines

The 2026 lipid guidelines explain how people can estimate and lower their risk of a heart attack. They include information about tools and tests, updated targets for LDL (bad) cholesterol, and advice about lifestyle changes and medications.

What's causing swollen feet and ankles?

Sometimes swollen feet are a red flag for an underlying vascular, bone-related, or skin-related health condition.

5 overlooked symptoms that may signal heart trouble

Pain in the chest sometimes is a symptom of heart disease. But heart problems aren't always obvious. Fatigue, unexplained aches and pains, shortness of breath, swollen feet or ankles, and heart palpitations may also indicate heart trouble.

Women's unique risks for heart disease

Women have unique risk factors for heart disease, including pregnancy-related complications and a higher rate of autoimmune diseases. Anatomical and other differences also influence how heart disease manifests in women.

After ablation, exercise may lower atrial fibrillation recurrence

After an ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation, getting at least 90 minutes of moderate exercise per week may reduce a person's risk of an afib recurrence, according to a 2026 study.

Night owls' habits linked to worse heart health

Compared to people who have moderate sleep-and-wake patterns, night owls may be more likely to have unhealthy habits that put their heart health at risk, according to a 2026 study.

What can cause an enlarged heart?

An enlarged heart has many possible causes, including conditions that force the heart to work harder than usual (such as chronic high blood pressure or heart valve problems) and different types of cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease).

Addressing poor sleep may help heart health

Growing evidence suggests that poor sleep is linked to a host of health problems, including a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Now, a recent study on people in midlife finds that having a combination of sleep problems may nearly triple a person's risk of heart disease.

Chronic kidney disease: A hidden threat to your heart

About one in seven adults in the United States has chronic kidney disease. Simple screening tests can detect the problem, which can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

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